


January

by Carolina_not_Caroline



Series: Twelve Months of Bethyl [1]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Fusion, Angst, Babies, F/M, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Introspection, Love, bethyl, writing prompts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-20
Updated: 2017-07-18
Packaged: 2018-09-18 17:10:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 30,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9395030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carolina_not_Caroline/pseuds/Carolina_not_Caroline
Summary: A collection of Bethyl writing prompts.





	1. But You Said...

“But you said you would help me, Daryl,” Beth argued. “You can’t just take back your promise.” She added with a pout.

“Yes, I can Beth,” Daryl replied cursing himself for his moment of weakness the day before. He couldn’t help it though; he was weak when it came to Beth Greene, his best friend little sister.

“No. You. Can’t,” emphasized Beth who had been looking forward to this afternoon for hours now, and whose heart would inevitably shatter if she didn’t get Daryl Dixon to keep his promise and help her.

“Beth, I can’t even dance, so I don’t understand why you’re coming to me. Go to Shawn,” Daryl replied clearly annoyed and with his patience wearing thin.

“Daryl, Shawn doesn’t like Jimmy. He would never help me,” Beth said as a knot started to choke her throat.

It was the eve of her junior prom. The first dance her parents allowed her to attend and the first time she would actually get to freely date a boy without Maggie, or Shawn and Daryl supervising. All she wanted was to be ready when it came to dancing. Just that. She really likes Jimmy, not in the way she likes Daryl, but she likes him and she wants to be a good date to him. It is not her fault she’s a terrible dancer.

“I don’t care, Beth,” added Daryl after Beth laid down on him her best puppy eyes, and crocodile tears.

He really hated that Beth could play him like a fiddle with her puppy eyes and fake tears. He really did, and those tactics would have worked before but not today. He sure as hell was not going to help her with her dancing. No way. Not even if he could. Why would he help the love of his life have a good time with another guy? Why? No.

“Daryl, please,” Beth said with her saddest voice and feeling completely out of page because she never had had to pled to Daryl Dixon before.

“No, Beth.”

“Fine,” Beth conceded. “Let me just embarrass myself. Let me just die alone too while you’re at it. Jimmy is the most popular guy in my grade and he asked _me_ out of all the girls to the dance, and it’s all going to be ruined, and I’m going to be a laughing stock just because I can’t dance. I hope you’re happy about that!”

“I’m not,” Daryl replied. “But remember this Beth. This is a stupid school dance. In a few years’ time this dance won’t matter. You won’t even remember it, what you wore, or who you went with. So stop being so naïve, and stop caring about silly little things like that.” Daryl ranted. “If…if that Jimmy douche really liked you he wouldn’t care if you can’t dance or not. And you know what, there are worse things that could happen to you, so grow up,” Daryl then yelled as he started to turn around to walk away back to the Greene farmhouse

“Oh by the way,” he added as he turned around to face a completely stunned Beth. “You won’t die alone. I know that for sure.”


	2. The Light Changed...

The light changed and Daryl slammed the accelerator of his truck.

He was late. Really late. Shit!

He should have left his home at one in the afternoon so he could be there at two like she wanted him to. Like the idiot that he was though, he lost track of time during a hunting trip he promised was going to be “short.”

He ended up leaving at 1:30. He debated on whether or not he should clean up but he knew that his girlfriend would kill him if he showed up to her college graduation late, bathed in blood, with mud on his shoes, and ripped jeans.

To make matters even worse, as he arrived to the pavilion her graduation was being held in, was that traffic was a state, and finding parking was going to be terrible. It seemed like the parking garage designated for the graduation was full as everyone and their mothers came to this year’s graduation. Honestly he can’t remember his and Shawn’s graduation being this bad. Perhaps the fact that he didn’t care much about the ceremony (he wasn’t even going to receive his diploma then, it was going to be mailed) made him careless about the logistics of it all. However this was Beth’s graduation. This graduation mattered more. It just did, and he needed to find some damn parking.

Beth studied and fought hard to get her Master’s degree in Education. She stayed up late to study, and made him quiz her in ungodly hours of the night. She fought hard to be the best and here he was being late, as if all she did didn’t matter to him.

In reality it mattered to him. A lot. All he wanted was for her to be happy, to have her dreams come true, so that when he proposed to her he wouldn’t be holding her back.

He waited for four years now and here he was waiting longer as he was stuck in another red light, and completely missed Beth walking for sure.

He was scalding as he slammed the horn of his truck to get the people in front of him, who were in no doubt texting, to move as the light turned green. He really wanted to rip all his hair out in the moment. All he had wanted to do this morning was go to her graduation, congratulate her with a big hug, and a bigger kiss. He had wanted to give her the ring that was weighing down his slacks, and start his life with his girl. But no, he had to go hunting to calm down his nerves. He had had to be stuck in traffic with the worst and most insensible drivers in the world. He had to be late.

Thankfully, after he finally found parking and arrived, she still said yes.

 


	3. Tick, tock, tick...

The tick, tock, sound of the clock on the wall is driving her mad.

She does not need the reminder that time is passing. That she’s stuck in Grady for another day.

She misses plenty of things from the days before the outbreak, but as she listens to the tick, tock of the clock of the wall she realizes she didn’t miss that. The reminder that time was passing. No wonder digital clocks were invented.

She’s “resting” in her room. The day of work at Grady is done, and she has nothing else to do; at least around the hospital that is, because when she has time alone all she does is plan. Plan her escape, because she’s going to get out of Grady. Her prison. Her hell.

She is sitting in front of her window, looking at the city that used to be Atlanta, and she remembers the trips she would take there with her family.

She remembers the time her family and her went to the Georgia Aquarium. She remembers being mesmerized by the many fish of the sea, but she also remembers her sadness seeing all those animals trapped and not in the ocean swimming freely. She wonders now what became of those fish.

She remembers visiting the College Football Hall of Fame, and how Shawn promised he would be there one day. She tears up at the thought of Shawn. Her annoying brother gone to soon. She knows for sure that if he had lived everything would have been different.

He used to like going hunting with Otis. Perhaps if he had lived he would have prevented Otis from shooting Carl. He would have convinced her daddy that what Rick was saying about the walkers was true, and that there was no cure, because that was the thing about Shawn. Shawn was curious about the world. He was open to all possibilities, and didn’t dismiss one just because his religion chastised it. He wasn’t much of a God believer like the rest of them, much to their parents chagrin, but Shawn was still good, and he didn’t deserve to die. Of that she’s certain.

Hearing a disturbance outside her door, Beth turns. She doesn’t get up from her seat though because it’s probably Frank the oldest person in the hospital having a fit. He has early symptoms of dementia and he causes chaos every day.

She snorts at herself when remembers that, and turns back to face the window. On her third day in Grady, on the late hours of the night, Frank had had a meltdown. He caused an uproar of yells among the hospital and she had stupidly thought that the chaos was caused by her family, Daryl coming to save her. The disappointment after finding out the truth of the uproar had broken her heart. No one was going to save her. Daryl wasn’t going to show up to the hospital like her Prince Charming and take her away from her prison castle.

He was still alive, of that she was sure. However, he wasn’t coming to save her.

She didn’t know for sure where exactly in Georgia they had been but she knows that it was nowhere near Atlanta. She knows that there was no way he could have followed the car that had taken her. She knows that the odds of him finding her were in the negatives, but she still hoped that somehow he managed to find her. That hope vanished days ago though, because the clock kept ticking and tocking and days passed and Daryl never came.

She would have to find him herself. She just had to escape first. Only she still had a couple of things to learn.

Dawn’s life ran like a clock. Grady’s life ran like a clock.

Every day was about the same. The same chores. The same tasks. Every day was the same so Grady could survive, and Beth was learning the flawless schedule to heart, but as the chaos that Frank is causing rises, she wonders if something is wrong.

The clock indicates that ten minutes has passed since the uproar begun and that’s out of schedule. It usually takes Jones less than five minutes to calm down Frank.

Growing curious about the change Beth stands up from her spot by the window. She smooth’s down her scrubs, and stretches her back. She approaches the door of her room, and then halts. In the distance a frantic voice is screaming, and she gets goose bumps.

_‘No.’_ she thinks.

_‘No.’_ she shakes her head. _‘That can’t be.’_

“No. It’s not Daryl.” She whispers to herself.

It is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and please review:)


	4. Red Plaid Shirt...

The girl with the red plaid shirt caught his eye the moment she walked in Port Joe’s not because she was out of place in the dingy, dirty bar. No, she caught his eyes for two things.

One – she is the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his entire life.

Two – she is wearing his red plaid shirt.

There is no question about it. She is wearing his red plaid shirt. The one he lost three months ago? He can’t remember. Yeah, the last three months of his life are a blur, but he’s certain that that’s his shirt. It has the grease spot he got one day as he was fixing his truck, the hole under the left pocket is there, and most importantly, it’s missing the sleeves.

Daryl tries to remember if maybe he had a one night stand with this girl or something, but the thing is he would remember sleeping with a woman so beautiful like her.

He knows he would never forget the porcelain skin that is glowing at the other side of the bar. He’s certain only an idiot would forget that perfect smile she’s giving Carol as she orders her drink. Then, there are her eyes, blue as the day sky and with twinkles that put to shame the stars of the night. Yeah, no one could forget those eyes, and he sure as hell would not either. So no, he doesn’t know this girl. He has never met her before, but then why is she wearing his shirt?

He then remembers the bracelet on his left wrist. He sure as hell doesn’t remember getting it, or putting it on, but it’s still in his wrist. He just accepted that. He carries it like no explanation is needed to explain why he has a leather bracelet with the date October 13, 2013.

Maybe that’s what he should do about this girl; accept that the most beautiful girl in the world is wearing the shirt he remembers getting from Goodwill, and let that just be that.

That doesn’t mean he’s going to stop staring though Daryl concurs. Despite the latter she’s still beautiful, and he has seen too much ugly shit so he’s going to allow himself to see some beauty. Also it’s not like she will catch him staring. He’s at the end of the bar, near the hallway that leads to the bathrooms, and where the light is the dimmest. She won’t catch him gaping at her like an idiot.

Then, though, she does.  She meets his eyes.

She’s received her drink, a Shirley Temple, from Carol, and after she’s given her thank you she meets his eyes dead on, almost as if she knew he was there. That certainly leaves him on the tip of his toes. He was just going to admire her undetected. That’s all he wanted to do, but as he stares, she stares back. And then, then she’s moving towards him.

His flight instinct comes too late. Before he can even tell his legs to move she’s sliding on the stool next to his, and he’s petrified.

“Hi,” she says with that beautiful smile on her face. “I’m Beth.”

Beth. Beth. That’s a beautiful name for a beautiful girl.

“Daryl,” he grunts in response, his heart hammering against his chest.

“Daryl,” she repeats as if she’s tasting his name on her mouth.

“Daryl,” she repeats again.

His name has never sounded better.

“Daryl,” she says one more time as she turns in her stool to completely face him. Up close she’s even more beautiful, and that’s definitely his shirt. “Can I ask you a question?”

Normally he would say no. He would tell her to mind her own business, but he’s compelled. What could this girl – Beth – have to ask him?

“Mhm,” he grunts as an answer.

Looking him dead in the eyes, fidgeting in her stool for a second, and then gently taking his wrist she asks,

“Why are you wearing my bracelet?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.  
> Thank you for reading and please review:)


	5. Terracotta Tile...

“Oh, Momma! The kitchen looks incredible!”

“It really does,” Annette Greene replies to her daughter Beth as she looks on with pride at her favorite place in the entire Greene farm. “Doesn’t it Bethy!”

“Yeah,” Beth replied with a wide smile, feeling over the moon for her mother who loved to spend hours in the kitchen making and spoiling all of her family with her famous cooking. “I especially love the tile. Is it terracotta?”

Why, yes m’am,” Annette answered, with a smile as well, as she admired the terracotta tile that was now her kitchen floor.

The tile was a warm, earthy brown, and it went perfect with her mother’s new cabinets and cream walls.

“Oh, Momma,” Beth then dreamily said. “I would love to have this tile in my home too. It is just wonderful. I mean it completes the whole kitchen.”

“I know!” Annette exclaimed like a child who had just been given candy. Clutching her chest and with her other hand Beth’s shoulder Annette then ranted, “Can you believe that your father didn’t think so?! Gosh, that man,” Annette exaggeratingly added as she shook her head. “I had to fight with tooth and nail to get him to call Daryl so he could come and install it. I mean the man wanted to do it himself as if he knew how!” she said mortified. “Bless your father. Thankfully he understood that my threats were not in vain and called Daryl. Oh, Daryl,” Annette then added with a sigh and a far way look. “He’s such a sweet man. Shy but incredibly sweet. And he’s marvelous at his job isn’t he? I can give you his number if you want.”

“Oh no, Momma. I can’t afford a renovation right now,” Beth quickly replied in response as she shook her head.

She was just starting her job as a school guidance counselor, and was paying off her student debts. She had no money for new flooring no matter how much it would suit her beautiful little home.

“Oh honey, don’t worry about money. Your father and I could always help you pay,” Annette amended as she went to grab a post it note and her address book. “Your father actually made a deal with Daryl too. He can give you a discount because you were recommended by us.” Annette stated, as of matter of fact, as she looked through her address book. “You see Daryl is just starting with his business. He’s trying to build a client base so he’s starting with a little low prices to get his name out there, you know. Give him a call.”

Taking the number from her mother Beth replied hesitant about the whole ordeal, “Oh, okay. Maybe I will.”

 

* * *

 

 

She didn’t call Daryl until a year later. By then Beth had saved enough money for the installation. She really wanted terracotta tile in her kitchen. She was slowly fixing her little house and she needed to have terracotta tile in her kitchen. Plus a year of seeing her mother’s beautiful kitchen and floor made her cave and call Daryl.

She called on a Tuesday during her break, and he agreed to come to her home the next day and see her kitchen so he could give her an estimate.

Beth cleaned her home until it was spotless that night. She didn’t want anything to be in his way when he came to scope out her home. That and her mother chastised her to clean up and to make sure to offer him a beverage as if Beth had no manners and had a dirty home. She didn’t.

A knock on the door signaled his arrival. Beth stood up from where she sat in her sofa reading a novel, straighten out her shirt and went to open the door.

It was love at first sight.

Beth was left floored by the man on the other side of her door; the man who was going to install her new terracotta tile floor. He was the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes on, and all thoughts about her floor went out of her head and out the door when she opened it.

“Hello,” the man named Daryl said after he slightly shook his head and cleared his throat as if he too was starstruck. “I’m Daryl, the installer. Are you Beth?”

Blushing madly because she took a few seconds longer than necessary to respond to his question Beth said, “Yes. I’m Beth. Come on in,” she added with her best smile. “The kitchen is this way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and please review:)


	6. White Board...

“Beth?” Daryl called out to his best friend as he entered her home with the spare key she had given him. “I brought you soup.”

“Yay!” a weak voice answered from the living room. “It is Chicken Noodle-Soup?”

“Yeah,” Daryl as he turned left into her living room, and took in the sight of a disgustingly sick Beth Greene.

“I don’t want it then,” was Beth’s answer to Daryl response. She hated Chicken Noddle-Soup mostly because of the taste of boiled chicken.

“Greene,” Daryl said exasperated as Beth turned her body so that she was facing the cushions of her baby blue couch. “I know you hate this soup, but it’s going to make you feel better. So you’re going to eat it.”

“No,” Beth mumbled against the couch after she sniffed her irritated nose. “Baked Potato Soup is the one that’s going to make me better. Bring me that one.”

Sighing and pushing his hair back from his face Daryl gently said, because he knew that all Beth wanted was to be babied like her mother babied her when she was little and sick, “No, Beth you’re going to eat this soup. Please,” he added hating the fact that he had to beg because Dixons never begged. “For me.”

“Okay,” Beth relented mostly because she wasn’t all the way in her mind and didn’t have the strength to protest.

Daryl had to fight a smirk from crossing his face because the sight of Beth unhappily trying to eat her soup was amusing. She was really a sight, his girl. With a pout, and barely opening her mouth she ate her soup as he fed it to her. She was really going to hate him later for making her eat “the worst soup in the world” as she liked to call it, but he didn’t care. What he cared about was her health. She has been sick for two days now, and looking worst for wear, with swollen eyes, a nose red as Rudolph’s, and a cough that resembled frog croaks.

On her first day of being sick she tried to pretend she wasn’t.

_“I have a lot of things to do Daryl,” she had sniffed. “I can’t be sick.”_

_“Yes you can,” he had replied._

_“No, I can’t,” she insisted as a cough almost swept her away from the diner they often had breakfast in._

_After, she had regained her composure she took out her phone and showed him a picture of the **To Do List** she wrote every day on her white board back in her apartment. _

_“See!” she had exclaimed. “Today I have to return the headphones I bought that didn’t work. I have to pick up Maggie and Glenn from the airport, and I have to go grocery shopping.”_

_Daryl looked at her list that also included a reminder that said “Do not impulse shop, stupid” Daryl took a sip from his black coffee, looked back at Beth, and casually he asked, “Is that all?”_

_“What?”_

_“Is that all you have to do?” Daryl patiently asked again._

_“Uhm, yeah,” replied Beth feeling utterly confused._

_“Alright,” replied Daryl as he stood up from his seat, went to Beth, helped her from her seat, and began to lead her outside, whilst holding her hand, after he paid for their breakfast._

_“I am going to do your to do list, and you’re going home to rest, Greene,” Daryl then explained._

_“But… but,” Beth had begun to say as she tried to keep up with Daryl._

_“No buts, Beth,” Daryl commanded. “You have the flu and you’re going to rest.”_

_Saying it mostly to himself, as he shook his head, and continued to lead her to her apartment, which was only two blocks away from the diner, Daryl said, “I can’t even believe you got out of bed this morning.”_

_After they arrived to her apartment Daryl ordered her to change to her warmest clothes ( which for Beth were her cloud print pajamas, and a hoodie she stole from Daryl) and lay in her bed. He had tucked her in and told her to sleep, but that was after asking her where the headphones she needed to return were, and if she had the receipt. He also asked her at what time he had to pick up her newly wed sister and Glenn, and if she had a grocery list. He kissed her sweaty, and warm forehead, after she had given him everything he needed, and went on to do her errands._

_Her errands had been a hassle. The traffic to the airport had been horrible. He had to make sure he did like Beth nagged him to do, and buy the same brands of products she did. At the end of the day he had been spent. After he spent a lot of time in a place that wasn’t his home, Beth’s apartment, or the woods, surrounded by a lot of people, Daryl was more than ready to isolate himself, but only after Beth got better. He knew though that he would do it again if he had to because Beth was too important to him, and he wanted her happy._

“So, Greene,” Daryl asked as Beth broodingly took the last spoon of her soup. “What were you going to do today?”

“Uhm,” Beth replied looking upward to the right trying to remember what she was supposed to do that day.

She was supposed to wash her car. She remembered as she settle back into her couch that she was also supposed to see if she could stop her bathroom door from doing that screeching sound, and organize her bookcase, CD collection, and movies.

“Here,” Daryl said, interrupting her thoughts, and handing her her white board. “Write it down for me so I can do it.”

“Why?” Beth then softly asked as she remembered just how much she loved the stubborn, robust man before her.

“Because,” Daryl replied as he looked at her straight in the eyes with warm and soft eyes. “I don’t want your weekend to go to waste.”


	7. Traditional...

They dropped to bed after moments of ecstasy.  They had just finished making love, and Daryl’s heart was galloping as fast as a stampede of horses, so he laid his head on Beth’s chest, whose heart was beating just as fast, and reveled in the glory. They were after all celebrating.

“Do you want a traditional wedding?” Daryl asked her out of nowhere, just like the question popped into his head. 

He was caressing her naked body, so it took Beth a second to answer his question, since him touching her always had her distracted. With goose flesh on her skin, she shook her head no as an answer, knowing he would feel her doing so.

“Why not?” Daryl asked against her throat with a soft and curious tone. He, before he learned to stop thinking for Beth or more like assuming what she thought, thought that Beth was girl who would want a traditional wedding. A wedding where there would be too much emphasis on the cake, and who sat where. A wedding where they would have to be the center of attention, and he would have to talk to people he rarely saw, or talked to, but that had to be invited to the wedding as if they had anything to do with their love.

As she lifted her hand to comb her fingers through his hair, Beth answered, “Because we’re not traditional. Remember?” She giggled. “I mean we had the baby first.”

That was true.

 They had their baby boy Samuel first.

They weren’t traditional by any means.

At the beginning they were just two strangers who one night had sex, and who then did not see each other for a month when they ran into each other in a pharmacy. He would never forget that day. He was there to buy cigarettes, and she a pregnancy test. His life changed forever that day. The pregnancy test was positive, and he, that exact day, gave up on smokes. A triple blessing in disguise that day was.

And Beth was right they are not traditional, so their wedding shouldn’t be either.  Nothing about them was traditional. After knowing each other for less than three months, after they got to know each other, and as they went through her pregnancy, they moved in together and are deep in love. Who could fault true love, really? Her mother has tried by citing religion and the ways of God, but he’s not much of a believer, and for her love conquers above all.

Lifting his head then from her chest that had since stopped heaving, which wouldn’t be for long if he had a say about it, he kissed her swollen lips and then said. “Yeah, we’re not traditional. So how is our wedding going to be?”

“I don’t know,” Beth answered, after she recovered from the kisses Daryl was bestowing on her nipple after he asked his question. “But I don’t care,” she added as Daryl stopped kissing her and placed his chin on her chest, and looked at her curiously.

She knew he was surprised. In retrospect so was she. As a little girl she would always say “My wedding is going to be like this…” and “My wedding is going to have that…” so she couldn’t believe that now that she had the perfect ring on her finger, and a far more perfect man, she couldn’t care less about her wedding. In all honesty, all she wanted was Daryl, Sam, and the life they had. She didn’t care about the ceremony, or the reception. She didn’t care if they went to the court and got married there. She just wanted to be Daryl’s wife. Beth Dixon.

“Our wedding is going to be you, Sam, and me.” Beth responded as she clearly pictured the scene she was describing. "It’s going to be us forever and ever. Us not being traditional is not going to change that.”

And it didn’t.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not my favorite, but it was overdue. So here, *sighs* enjoy.


	8. Sunshine...

The old man was dying and he wanted to say his last words to him. Death must really make a man lose it, Daryl thought as he rubbed his clammy hands on his pants, and told himself to man up.

Daryl Dixon had been standing outside of his father in law’s bedroom in the Greene farm, that was now his farm, for two good solid minutes. He was nervous, though, and even though he would never admit it he too was dying but on the inside.

He loved Hershel Greene. He was the father of the love of his life, and in so many ways he was a father to him. He was the man who gave him permission to marry his baby girl, and he was the one who guided him through the many trials of marriage, and fatherhood. He loved Hershel so much that he even wished that he was the one dying instead. The world could do without Daryl, but he doubt it could do without Hershel. Hershel who was a good, hardworking man who, yes went through rough patches like everyone else, but was able come out with his chin held high on the other side.

Bile started to rise on his throat as he finally opened the door. Daryl most of the time considered himself to be strong, but now he knew that that was a lie. He was just physically strong, never mentally. All of that was his wife Beth, who always kept her faith, and never ceased to have eternal patience with him. She never failed to remind him that he was good. Good enough for her, their children, and the life they had.

Slowly stepping into Hershel’s bedroom, a room, he realized, he had never entered until then, Daryl tried to keep calm. However, that in itself was a feat, because the sight Hershel made laying on his bed, pale as a ghost and with a weak smile, made Daryl want to breakdown and allow the bile he pushed down before come back up.

Softly Hershel then broke the deafening silence that Daryl couldn’t understand how Hershel could handle. For a long time in his life all he wanted was silence. He wanted deafening silence like the one in Hershel’s room, but then after Beth, and their children, he learned to tolerate silence. The sounds his wife and children made, their laugher, and Beth’s songs, were music to his ears. He adored their sounds, and in the grand spectrum of things they made them appreciate life more, so he really couldn’t understand how Hershel could stand the silence. He understood that they had to make him as comfortable as he could be like Beth explained to him, but perhaps after Hershel was done speaking to him he could bring Catherine, Lizzy, and Sam up to him to bring some sunshine to the man and silence the silence.

“Come here son,” Hershel weakly said as he looked at Daryl compassionately. “How are you?” the old man asked him and Daryl found it really challenging then to hold his tears. He was not the one dying, but Hershel asking him how he was made him feel like he was.

“I don’t know,” Daryl answered because he honestly didn’t know how he was. He didn’t know if he was sad, or angry, or happy that at least Hershel got to live a good, happy life with no regrets, like the old man said after he told their family that his time was coming.

“I don’t know,” Daryl repeated as he looked down at Hershel’s bed sheets, and refused to meet the old man’s eyes. His blue, greyish eyes who twinkled just like Beth’s, but that would definitely break the dam he was making of his tears if he was to meet them.

“Look, son,” Hershel then prompted Daryl to do so he could tell him what he wanted to tell him. “I just wanted to tell you that when Beth was born she was my sunshine. Maggie was my rock. Shawn was my pride and joy, and Beth was my sunshine.” Hershel proudly said, and Daryl could see that the old man was remembering the good old days where instead of being him, it was Hershel who was chasing around three loveable. but crazy children.

“She was my sunshine, and I just want you to promise me that you will take good care of her and my three little rays of light. Now,” Hershel said as Daryl was about to point out that he cares for nothing more than his family. “I know you already take good care of them. I know you’re an excellent father, and husband, and that no other man is better suited for my Bethy. I just wanted to tell you what I did because like I said, Beth is my sunshine, my little girl, and I want her to be nothing but happy. And happy she is with you, so please take good care of her.”

Daryl nodded his head fervently as he finally allowed his tears to slide down his face. That was all he could do to respond to Hershel’s request, after a minute passed and he choked out his response.

“I… I will, sir,” Daryl sobbed as Hershel stroked, with his other hand, Daryl’s hand, as if Daryl was one of his sick animals who he was trying to soothe. “I will take good care of her. Of them. Of your farm too, sir. I will not disappoint you. I promise.”

“I know you won’t, son,” Hershel answered Daryl with a surprisingly strong grip on the hand he was holding. “I know you will make me proud. You already do. So keep doing what you’re doing and take care of my sunshine. I know she’s your sunshine too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sad one shot. Sorry, it's just that Sunshine is the prompt that came up and the way I wanted to go has been done for Bethyl plenty of times I didn't want to be redundant. Thank you for reading and please review:)


	9. Fall...

It was fall 2016. The people around her were either glued to their smartphones most likely playing that Pokemon game she did not understand. The ones not looking at their phones were exercising and staying active. Others were walking their dogs, or watching over their children as they played on the playground without one single care in the world. As for her, she was sitting on a bench, anxiously waiting for Daryl. The man she was secretly dating.

She didn’t want to be secretly dating him, though. She wanted to openly date him, and announce to everyone on this park that he was her boyfriend. The thing was she could not do that. They could not openly date because their families were enemies. Beth always tried to not roll her eyes at that.

“You guys are like Romeo and Juliet,” their friend Carol, the only person who knew about them, once said. Beth and Daryl had only cringed at that. They did not want to be like Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet was a tragedy, not a majestic romance as people made it to be. The last thing they wanted was for their love to end in death. Beth and Daryl just wanted to love each other freely, because they did. They loved each other more than anyone has loved ever and she could not comprehend why their families pride was greater than love.

Beth tried not to cry about that anymore. She tried to accept that things were going to be like they were until they weren’t, but it was difficult.

Until someone let go of their pride, until one of their families members opened their minds and saw that the Dixon-Greene rivalry was nothing, but a sham, Daryl and her had to hide. She hated it. It was 2016 for the love of God! People should be past petty things like who loved who, and let love be love.

For God’s sake she loved Daryl more than anything in the world. He was her soulmate, the love of her life. He made her happy. He made her feel wanted, and he loved her as much as she loved him, and all of that cliché stuff. Daryl was the man who she wanted to marry, have the cliché house with the cliché life, and children.

All of their family’s nonsense made Beth laugh by herself. Daryl was the one for her, the one she imagined when she thought about what love could be, and it infuriated her that she could not be with him. All because a stupid rivalry.

A rivalry that began years ago, and that should not matter on this day and age. A rivalry that was keeping them and their families from being truly happy, and that almost had her marrying Jimmy. Jimmy, who was perfect for her according to her mother. Jimmy who only brought forward a gag reflex to her, and not whooshes, goose flesh, embarrassing blushes, and rapid heart palpitations like Daryl did.

Beth sighed into the fall air as she then turned to see if Daryl had finally arrived. He did. She could see him walking towards her with his confident gait, and sunglasses covering his beautiful eyes. Beth smiled at him until she noticed the duffle bag on his back.

That was out of the norm,

When he reached her, he took her hand, and wordlessly began to lead her back from where he came from. That was normal though. The park was their rendezvous point, and from there, they would walk to their secret cabin in the adjacent woods.

When Daryl walked past their trail, Beth grew confused. “Where are we going?” she asked.

Arriving to his truck, Daryl turned to face her. “If you say yes,” Daryl replied with that rough voice of his that never failed to make her knees weak. “We are going far away from here.”

“What? Beth cried, shocked by his words.

Daryl moved into her personal space then, space, which she might add, he did not invade out in public. Placing his calloused hands on her cheeks and framing her face Daryl echoed, “Beth, I want us to run away from here. I am tired of this secret. I am tired of looking behind our backs, afraid that Merle or your pops will catch us. So let’s run away. Run away with me,” he passionately said. “Let’s run away from this place, from our families, who are never going to see eye to eye, and let’s go be happier once and for all. What do you say?”

Beth did not even have to think about her answer. It was obviously yes. She would run away with Daryl to the end of the world, and that is what she told him.

Daryl kissed her hard then. He pressed his lips to hers with fervor, clearly delighted by her answer. They kissed for good couple of minutes until they broke apart for air. They needed to breathe. By then they were enveloped in each others arms, and the realm of possibilities they could have once they left their backwards town.

Daryl, after placing a kiss to her temple, then moved to open his truck’s door for her from the driver’s side. Once she thanked him for his chivalry and entered the cab, he followed and turned on the engine. Clearing his throat he then inquired with a fake English accent, “Where to, Miss?”

Flashing him a smile, and moving to sit closer to him, Beth replied with her own English accent, “Anywhere in the world, sir. I believe anywhere is better than here.”

Smiling back at her, placing his arm around her shoulder and looking happier and more relaxed than she had ever seen him, Daryl replied, “To anywhere in the world it is,” and began their way to a new life.

A new life where she could love the man she loved, even despite the fact that she was leaving her family, and all she had and knew behind. However, in the end who could blame them? Certainly not their families, who did not let go of the past, and did not understand that love was love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and please review:)


	10. ITunes...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the prompt was ITunes and I had no idea of what to write I am after all an Android user and know jack shit of ITunes. Anyways this came up, and then went out of my hands. I like it, though, and I hope you guys do too.

On ITunes, Beth Greene opened her favorite songs playlist, placed her headphones on her ears, and began to listen to her music as she waited for the bus that would take her to Savannah. The bus was set to arrive in thirty minutes so Beth decided to take out her small – on the go – journal, and her favorite pen to kill time.

She was going to visit her friend Sasha. She had not seen her since college, and Beth was excited to reunite with her. Beth and Sasha were roommates, and Sasha was like another sister to Beth. Sasha protected her from privileged frat boys, and Beth kept her fed in return. What they had was an undisputed friendship, and Beth did not understand how they allowed themselves to go without seeing each other for so long.

Well, she did know why. Beth was busy back home in Senoia with her veterinary practice, and Sasha was busy saving people in Savannah.

Sasha was a firefighter, and a fierce one at that. She was in the same unit as her brother Tyreese, and Beth loved to hear about the crazy things Sasha and her unit got into when they were not on duty. Everything Sasha retold her sounded swell, even if most of the time Sasha complained about having a lot of annoying older brothers.

Nevertheless, Beth could not wait to meet them all. She had heard much about them that she was excited to put faces to names. Especially the firefighter named Daryl, whose story, after Sasha briefly gave it to her, compelled her, and made her have a weird crush on the man.

Daryl Dixon, from Sasha words, was a thirty four year old firefighter who had worked his way from the bottom of the bottom to be where he was now. Daryl was not afraid to break his back, or risk his life when facing an inferno. Daryl was shy, not good with words, but still one of the best men Sasha had met. He had no girlfriend, Sasha inexplicitly emphasized to her, and no immediate family other than his brother Merle who Daryl loved immensely. Daryl, according to Sasha, was unusually handsome, and had such a robust form that apparently would make Beth drool once she saw it.

 Beth tried not to think about that part though. She was more interested in meeting the man who fearlessly ran into a collapsing building to save a little boy’s life. She was more interested in meeting the man who protectively swaddled, and held tightly in his arms a dog who had been inside a burning house, and was absolutely petrified.

That was the man she wanted to meet. That was the man who had her anxiously shaking her leg on the bus ride to Savannah, Georgia.

 

* * *

 

 

Daryl Dixon was cleaning the firehouse kitchen when abruptly Sasha entered. He noted that she was wearing a smile instead of the signature scowl she liked to put on. She had a clipboard in hand, so he guessed she was now leading the firehouse cleaning, something that she rarely did citing gender roles and the like.

“Are you leading the firehouse clean?” Daryl prompted as he sprayed some cleaner on the counters.

“Yes, I am Dixon,” Sasha responded as she took in the room, inspecting Daryl’s work, as if there was something wrong with it.

“I thought Rick was leading it,” answered Daryl since Rick was the one who gave assignments in the morning.

“He was,” Sasha retorted as she opened the refrigerator door, and looked in. “But I took over because my friend is visiting, and I don’t want her to see a half-assed clean firehouse.”

“Half-assed?” Daryl grunted as he tried not to be offended by her words, he never half-assed anything.

“Yes! Half-assed!” Sasha answered as she took out a rotten fruit? Vegetable? He could not tell. “You men can’t clean right, see.” She emphasized by showing him the fruit, or vegetable, or whatever it was.

“Anyways,” Sasha continued as she threw away the thing on the disposal. “Beth is coming, and she’s so excited to meet you guys for some reason, and I don’t want to make a liar out of me.”

“Why would you make liar out of yourself?” Daryl questioned as he cleaned the counters more diligently and listened to Sasha.

“Because,” Sasha began. “I told Beth you are decent guys, and this pigsty is completely showing you’re not.”

“The place is not that dirty,” Daryl defended.

“It will be to Beth,” Sasha pointed out. “I have never met anyone as clean as her. We were roommates in college, and according to my momma she put her to shame since she like to clean my side of the room for me and have to room be all well put together.”

“She sounds uptight,” Daryl then said, slightly put off by Sasha’s friend because of her cleaning tendencies. Don’t get him wrong his fellow firefighters could be pigs and the firehouse could sometimes be a pigsty, and Daryl personally liked to have his things clean, but if anyone cleaned after him he would not be happy.

“She is not,” Sasha exclaimed offended for her friend. “Beth is an angel. She’s even a vet, and I bet you Daryl Dixon that once you meet her you will be eating your words.”

Daryl just scoffed at that. He was a Dixon; he was never going to eat his words.

“Oh,” Sasha wickedly said with a smile on her face. “Just wait until Beth arrives, Dixon. Just wait.” She repeated as she left Daryl cleaning, and wondering if the woman exhaled too much fumes on their last mission.

 

* * *

 

Beth arrived at the station at noon. Exiting the taxi she took, and closing out ITunes on her phone, she headed towards the open garage doors where she could see her best friend.

Smiling widely Beth called out, “Sasha! I’m here!”

“Beth!” Sasha exclaimed as she met Beth in the entrance of the station quickly embracing her. “I’m so happy you’re here. How was the ride?”

“The ride was great.” Beth answered as she followed Sasha, who was leading her to the inside of the firehouse. “I’m glad I took the bus. I was actually able to listen to more music than I have in a while.”

“That’s great.” Sasha answered knowing Beth loved music. “Are you ready to meet the guys?” Sasha then asked her as they neared what Beth assumed was the kitchen. “I think Daryl is over here.”

“Uhm,” Beth stuttered as she felt blood rushing to her cheeks, and her hands started to get sweaty. “Daryl?”

“Yeah, Daryl,” Sasha replied not paying attention to her distresses friend, or her fellow firefighters who wanted to meet Beth too. “I want you to meet him first.”

“Why?” Beth hurriedly asked. Why did she have to meet Daryl first? She wanted at least a few minutes of preparation before meeting him. She thought about him more than she cared to admit, and she was nervous. What if he did not like her? What if she romanticized him too much and he turned out to be the exact opposite of what she imagined? She was going to vomit.

“Because,” Sasha responded as they stood outside the kitchen door, and turned to face a wide eyed Beth. “I have a point to prove.”

Moving a lock of hair that was on Beth’s face, Sasha looked Beth over, and then led her into the kitchen.

Nobody was in there but the most handsome man she had ever seen. He was fixing the table in the kitchen, and he was deeply concentrated on his work as if it was the most important job in the world. Yeah, Beth said to herself, that is Daryl Dixon.

“Daryl,” Sasha all but screamed startling Daryl out of his work, and making Beth wished she had another best friend. “This is Beth. My friend. The one I was telling you about.”

All Daryl could think was that she was beautiful. She stood there behind Sasha with colored cheeks and a confused gaze, and all he could think about was her beauty.

Daryl, then, could not help but to condemn Sasha as he tried to think of something to respond with. Why did her friend have to be beautiful? Why did he say she was stuck up without knowing her? He should have remembered that Sasha tended to over exaggerate things because as he looked at her friend – Beth – he could see she was more than what Sasha made her out to be. She was a vet, right? Boy was he an idiot.

Clearing his throat, Daryl thought to finally say, “Uhm, hello,” very smooth, Dixon.

“Hi,” Beth answered with the sweetest voice he had ever heard. “I’m Beth,” Beth added stepping around Sasha, who had an annoyingly smug grin on her face, and extending her hand to him.

“Daryl,” he countered taking her hand and trying not to react to the jolt of electricity that went through him when he did.

“Nice to meet you,” Beth said as she shyly looked away from their united hands to his eyes. “I’ve heard a lot about you.” Beth braved herself to say.

“You have?” Daryl asked her now completely worried about the stories Sasha could have told her about him.

“Yes, I have,” Beth answered with an equally shy smile. “All good things,” she added as she took in Daryl’s worried expression. “I have actually been excited to meet you. Or…” She explained hurriedly. “Or at least the man who swaddled the dog after the house fire. You see I am a vet, and I wanted to thank you for that you know as an advocate of animals and all. Thank you.” She then said smiling at him, and almost knocking him off his feet. “That was very kind of you.”

“It was nothing,” Daryl then tried to set aside completely overwhelmed by her thanks.

“No, it was a big deal,” Beth refuted. “Only a kind man would do that. So thank you, again,” she repeated.

“You’re welcome,” Daryl answered her as he looked down at his boots.

And then.

“Wouldyouliketogooutonadatewithme?” He then heard her say.

“Sorry,” he answered completely shocked by the turn of events.

“Uhm,” Beth replied, as she turned to look back at Sasha, who was clearly enjoying the scene at the moment, and who persuaded Beth to continue and not back out. Beth never did this. She never did, and she did not know where the bravery came from, but she asked again more clearly. “Would you like to go out on a date with me?”

“Uhm,” Daryl took his turn to say as he looked at the obviously out of her comfort zone but still beautiful girl in front of him, and then to her best friend you was mouthing to him ‘You better say yes, or I will kill you!’ “Yes, I would love to go out on a date with you,” he answered completely happy by the turn of events.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and please review.


	11. I Got This...

“Look mommy!” Three year old Hunter Dixon holding a toy crossbow called out, jubilantly, to his mother as his daddy took him down off his daddy’s truck. “I got this! I got this at the store!”

Smiling widely at her son, as she sat on the front porch of their home, an immensely  pregnant Beth Dixon exclaimed, “Oh wow! C’mon over here,” she added as she shifted on her chair and beckoned her son to her. “So we can open it, baby.”

“No,” Hunter exclaimed as he toddled up the steps of the porch. “I want daddy to help me open it.”

“Now Hunter,” Daryl cut in as he watched Beth humph and pout at their son. “Let mommy help us open it.”

“But,” Hunter whined as he looked up at his daddy, who took the crossbow from him and handed it to his mommy. “But mommy doesn’t know how to use a crossbow.”

“Actually baby,” Beth contested as she tried to remove the packaging tape off the toy. “I do know how to use a crossbow.”

“You do?” Hunter asked his blue eyes widening as he went to stand right in front of his mommy placing his little hands on her knees curious about the new information.

“Yes baby,” Beth answered him as she returned the crossbow to Daryl so he could open it. Combing her fingers through Hunters hair, which was messy from the open window ride he most likely asked Daryl to have since he could not ride his daddy’s bike yet, Beth went on to say, “I have even shot your daddy’s crossbow and hit a deer.”

“But…” Hunter stammered. “But daddy’s crossbow is heavy, and you can’t carry heavy stuff.”

Daryl chuckled at that, and Beth corrected, “Well not right now since I’m pregnant with your sister, but when I wasn’t, and before we had you, your daddy would take me hunting all the time, and I would be the one carrying the crossbow.”

“Wow!” Hunter exclaimed with all of his three year old innocence. Turning to look at his daddy, who was smirking at him, the boy said, “Daddy are you going to let me use your crossbow like you do mommy?”

“When you’re a little older,” Daryl answered his son, as he took a seat next to Beth and joined Hunter’s hand on her knee. “Yeah, I’ll let you use my crossbow until we buy one for you.”

“Yay!” Hunter celebrated as he began to jump up and down.

“Until then,” Beth interrupted the boy’s party after placing a sweet kiss on Daryl’s cheek. “Let’s practice with this crossbow. Okay boys?”

“Okay mommy!” Both Daryl and Hunter answered.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and please review I would appreciate it.


	12. Scene After Scene...

Scene after scene flew around them as they rode on his motorcycle.

It was a beautiful Sunday. The weather was perfect. It was not too cold, and not too warm. It was just perfect, and Beth and Daryl Dixon were on a date. Their first date in a couple of months after her coma, as a matter of fact.

The past couple of months had been trying times for the Dixons. Those three months she slept in a hospital bed, after a drunk driver slammed into her car when she was going home from work, were the worst for Daryl Dixon. To put it in easy terms, Daryl was out of commission as soon as he heard his wife had been in an accident. He barely ate. He barely slept. He failed in every way to take care of himself since he was too preoccupied of taking care of his beloved wife. There was not a day he did not brought fresh flowers for her, and stayed by her bedside until the late hours of the night until she woke up. That day had been the best the day of his life by far.

This Sunday though, was fighting to be one of his most anxious days. He was reluctant to take Beth out on a ride on the “death machine” as he like to call all cars and bikes now. The fear, and memories of Beth lying comatose were still to fresh on his mind, he did not want to take her out.

However, Beth insisted.

His bike was rusting in the garage, and she did not want to be afraid of living now. She did not want to be afraid of getting on another “death machine.” She wanted to live. She wanted them to live.

She told him they could not live like that: afraid of death. He told her did not care; she was not the one who had to see her in a coma. She argued that they needed to live. They had to, because they were lucky; not everyone woke up from a coma. He relented at that, but was not significantly convinced. However, he made her promises when she was asleep, promises that she heard, and he would never take back. He loved her too much to do that. He loved her too much that he would do anything she told him to do, anyone told him to do for that matter, to keep her by his side.

So scene after scene they drove by until they arrived to where they first met; a park in Senoia, Georgia where she was walking her dog, and he was just walking trying to refresh his mind.

He packed a picnic that morning which consisted of all her favorite food. There was mac and cheese, turkey subs, apples, and brownies. To drink he packed freshly squeezed lemonade, and as they sat in their blanket staring, smiling, and loving each other they could not help but be grateful.

They had the chance to be where they were that day. She woke up, and he never got to live a day without her by his side. They were happy, and living, and looking forward their future together because they almost lost it and nothing was more heartbreaking to them than that.

 

 


	13. Dear Annette...

_My dear Annette,_

_It saddens me that you’re not here to see this. You would have really loved watching our little girl fall in love. As much as it pains me, it is true. Beth has fallen in love with wonderful boy. You knew him; he is Daryl Dixon, the little boy you wished we could take away from the grasp of his father. Yes, Bethy fell in love with him. How? I don’t know. I am not even entirely sure how Beth and Daryl met, but they met, and that is all that matters._

_You should see Bethy, Annette. She is jubilant. Believe it or not, she sings even more now. She is even feeding us to the grave from just how happy she is. I swear I am probably going to join you soon thanks to how much our daughter is feeding me. She cannot help it though she is happy and when she is, well you know, Bethy’s energy is overboard; she will do everything that makes her happy, and that includes a lot of cooking._

_As for Daryl, well, the boy is like I have never seen him before. That fear, and distress that was always in his eyes when we saw him around town is gone, or at least it is when he is with Bethy. He even smiles more, and boy that is a sight. When he smiles Bethy smiles, though not a smile you or I have ever seen. I swear we thought we knew our little girl but it seems we were wrong. When Daryl is around she’s a completely different person. She is a person in love, and it makes me happy that she is. I would be happier, however, if you were here to see her. I know you would love it too._

_Yours, Hershel_

 

_My dear Annette,_

_Our Bethy is getting married. Yes! Daryl proposed. He did everything the right way, and he, timidly, asked me for her hand. I think he thought I was going to say no for a second. You should have seen him; he was turning green during the extended pause I took before I answered. I know you probably would have pinched me for doing that, but I was always going to say yes, the pause, and the scowl, was all for my entertainment. I do repent about it now though; I should have never tortured poor Daryl like that, seeing as how much he loves our Bethy. and how he almost moved me to tears when he asked for her hand._

_As for Bethy, well she is glowing in bliss. You should see her Annette; she is a sight for sore eyes. She wears your ring proudly too by the way. After Daryl proposed out by the orchards, she came running to me. She hugged me tighter than she has ever hugged me before, and thanked me for giving Daryl your ring. I swear Annette there was not a dry eye in the house then._

_The wedding is going to be in a couple of weeks. Bethy does not want to wait long to marry Daryl, and as for Daryl, well, he just wants to spend the rest of his days with Beth, so he does not really care how they get married. They are going to get married here at the farm. Daryl, right as I write this, is painting the barn with Shawn, and Bethy is looking for dresses with Maggie._

_I really wish you were here Annette. I wish you got to see, with me, our daughter on her wedding day. I am certain she is going to look as magically as you did on our wedding day, one of the best days of my life._

_Yours, Hershel_

_My dear Annette,_

_Bethy is pregnant. She told me just today. She is three months along, and she looks beautiful. She’s very enthusiastic, as well. She is going to make a great mother. She is even reading all those pregnancy books, that you and I both know, will do little to actually prepare her once our little grandchild comes along. I think that reading the books makes her less anxious about want to expect so I do not fault her for reading them._

_As for Daryl though, oh poor Daryl.  He is happy of course about their pregnancy, but he admitted to me, just before I began writing this letter to you, that he is absolutely petrified about being a father. The poor boy, God bless his soul, is frightened that he will be a bad father, just like his father. I put him straight thought, as I know you would have, because Daryl’s fears are preposterous. Daryl is going to be a great father. He has nothing to be afraid of. He is not like his father. If he was, I sure would not have let him marry Beth, and that is what I told him. Poor boy looked like he wanted to weep after I did, and I did as you would have, I hugged him tight and told him he was going to be okay; that everything was going to be okay. Daryl could only nod his head at that, too overwhelmed by his sentiments, and seeing him like only made me wonder how the callous people from our town ever thought that Daryl Dixon was nothing but bad news. That boy, Annette, is a noble boy. He is a worthy definition of gentleman. He is exceedingly hard working. His main goal in life is to keep Bethy happy, and I am proud to call him my son-in-law. I would not have had anyone else marry our Bethy, but him. He is certainly worthy of her and the life they now share despite the fact that he still does not believe so. That, however, is what a bad past does to a person. It makes them believe they are not worthy of anything beautiful, because with them it would only become ugly and bad. I do hope that Daryl sees that that is the contrary because Bethy is beautiful, and she has done nothing but become striking once Daryl Dixon entered her life._

_Yours, Hershel_

_P.S. Do you think it will take me a lot to convince them to name their baby Hershel if it is a boy? I know the name is outdated, but come on, it is making a comeback._


	14. He Clenched His Fist...

He clenched his fist and fire sprung out.

“You’re a fire bender,” the little girl gasped as she approached him with eyes full of wonder. Taking his hand, she inspected it. Daryl tried not to think about the sensations that her touch was bringing forth to him, and just watched the girl – Beth- who so far was the only one of his classmates who bothered to speak to him.

Beth was pretty, Daryl observed. Her eyes were too big for her face but she reminded him of an angel anyways. She was wearing a sky blue dress, with white ribbons on her hair, and she, for some reason unbeknownst to him, fascinated him.

_It is probably because she bothered to talk to you._

He did not understand why she was fascinated about his fire bending; it was not like he was the only fire bender in the world.

_You are the only fire bender in this town though._

“Wow,” Beth exclaimed as she continued to inspect his hand as if she was trying to see just from where the flames ignited from.  “Can you make another flame?” She then asked him taking a step back from him, and turned her head to see if any teacher was watching them.

After making sure that they were really out of their teacher’s view, since bending in school was prohibited, Daryl then went on to produce another flame. This time he allowed to flame to be a little bigger than the first flame he lit. He held the succulent orange fire in his palm for about a minute longer too, and he was glad he did. His fire was lighting Beth just perfectly. Her blue eyes looked surreal as she watched the flame, and he was left in awe.

“That was beautiful,” Beth whispered as he let the flame go, the heat becoming too much.

“I don’t know if it’s beautiful,” Daryl responded as he turned to look at his worn shoes, and bringing his left thumb to his mouth and biting at the skin there.

“Fire is really dangerous,” Daryl said. His father sure taught him that. Fire was dangerous especially in the wrong hands, and in his hands Daryl felt fire was no good. He has never used it for anything wrong, but he is certain that the inevitable time when he will, will come along. It is not that he wants it to come along either, but he is a Dixon, and Dixons have never used their bending for good, that’s why when he discovered he could bend too, he ran into the woods and cried.

“Yes,” Beth agreed looking at him straight on with those eyes that were blue as the sea. “My daddy said fire is dangerous, but I still think it is beautiful.”

Moving to take a seat on the ground and effectively staining her pretty blue dress, Beth added, as she patted the spot next to her with her little hand and beckoned Daryl to sit down next to her, “I mean fire is life. I read a book written by a fire bender and he described the fire he bent as a pulse, like a heartbeat. He admitted that fire was dangerous, but it was also essential to life. I mean without fire we would freeze in the winter, and eat food raw. Fire is beautiful, Daryl.”

Thinking over her words, clearly mesmerized by the wisdom that Beth held Daryl then asked, “If… if you could be a bender, would you want to be a fire bender?”

“Yes,” Beth answered quickly springing to her feet and practicing bending forms. “I would also like to be an earth bender, and an air bender.”

“You would not want to be a water bender?” Daryl curiously asked. _Why not be a water bender. Water bending is cool. He would much rather be a water bender than a fire bender._

“I’m already a water bender,” was Beth’s response, and as she lifted the water from the puddle not far from them. Daryl could not help but reciprocate the amazement she showed him and the wide grin she was giving him as she gently moved the water around them.

“Wow,” Daryl exclaimed. “That is so cool.”

“Thank you,” Beth proudly said letting the water go, and returning to her seat next to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There’s supposed to be more to this, I want there to be more to this, but I am drawing a blank. Here is where I am going to leave it then. I know it is an awkward finish but I don’t know where to proceed from here, so if you have any ideas let me know because I love Avatar: The Last Airbender and I always wanted to make a Walking Dead/ Bethyl crossover with them, but I am drawing blanks. Thank you for reading, please review, and also pardon the errors:)


	15. A Priest Walks Into A Bar...

“A priest walks into a bar…”

“Merle!” Beth Dixon calls out to her brother-in-law from the kitchen where she is getting dinner ready and hears Merle begin to tell that obscene joke. “You better not be telling that joke to my children.”

“I’m not, sugar,” Merle chuckles as he winks to his five six year old nephew who grins broadly back at him.

“So a priest walks into a bar,” Merle continues to say but this time quietly.

“Merle,” Daryl Dixon grunts this time looking disapprovingly at his brother.

Rolling his eyes Merle whines, “God little brother, you and your old lady need to loosen up. Kid needs to hear these jokes. How else is going to survive out there?”

“He is going to survive by being a good person and not an outlaw like you,” Daryl answers as he beckons Merle and his son to the dining room where he and Beth just finished serving the food.

Samuel’s twin brother Jackson is already sitting at the table ready to eat. Beth is bringing in the fresh lemonade Daryl made, and their two year old Hannah is sitting in her high chair more than ready to eat too.

Daryl goes to her. Hannah’s chair is on his left and he is the one who feeds her dinner every night. Beth complains that he should let her do it so he could eat calmly, but Daryl always refuses. He loves whatever quality time he has with his kids. The twins grew in a blink of an eye, and he is sure as hell not going to let that occur with his little girl.

“Ah!” Merle exhales loudly sitting next to Beth and serving his plate. “Dinner at the Dixons, what a treat.”

“It wouldn’t be a treat if you came over more often like I tell you to,” Beth reprimands as she begins to cut her deer steak.

“Sugar, you know ol’ Merle is a busy man.”

“What keeps you so busy Uncle Merle?” Jackson, their ever so curious son, asks.

“Well, son the ladies keep me busy,” Merle answers with a wink before he bites down on his corn on the cob that Beth is amazing at cooking.

“Merle.” Daryl chastises again as he finishes giving Hannah a spoonful of her peas. He wishes his brother did not do this. Merle needs to stop pretending to he is living the life, and doing nothing but confusing his sons. Merle is an outlaw. He lives outside the law, and he makes it seem like he is in heaven. And maybe he is, maybe he is living in his heaven. However, Daryl does not want to his kids to think that their uncle’s heaven is their heaven too. He wants his kids to finds their own heaven, and Merle, perhaps not now but maybe later, will influence what his kids think of heaven. That is why Daryl has to make sure he and Beth lead their kids the right way. It is the only thing they can do to prevent their kids from being like his brother who drinks too much, is high most of the time, and lays with any woman how is willing.

Daryl takes a bite from his steak, and turns to look at his kids who are all sitting to his left. Merle this time has taken Daryl’s warning seriously and is stuffing himself with Beth’s creamy mashed potatoes. Beth is leading the conversation as always and is telling everyone about the sneakiest thing Hannah did today. Apparently, his little girl is more Dixon than Greene and while Beth was making lunch for them Hannah threw some of the pillows she had in her playpen on the ground and proceeded to escape the pen. Everyone at the table chuckled at that and Hannah for her part looked as innocent as ever.

“I wish I had caught it on tape,” Beth adds through her giggles, and Daryl smiles loving that sound. “Tomorrow I am going to try catching it on tape.”

“Mommy,” Samuel asks expectantly. “Did Jackson and I ever do that?”

“Oh yeah,” Daryl is the one who answers. “You sneaky little boys once managed to escape from your cribs. You Samuel climbed out of yours and then went on to slide Jackson’s gate down. I was walking by your room, thinking you guys were sleeping and saw the whole thing.”

“Did we get in trouble?” Jackson asks, his youngest boy is more Greene than Dixon.

“Nah,” Daryl answers they were one year and six months when they did that. There was no reason for them to be in trouble. “We just started playing with your cars, that’s what you guys wanted to do.

Merle smiles at the whole exchange. It is so strange seeing his little brother as a father. He is a great father though, and Merle is proud about that. He does not know how Daryl learned to be a father, maybe from the sweet blonde sitting next to him who opened his brother’s eyes and showed him what Merle always knew. Daryl is the sweet one. He is not like any other Dixon. Daryl breaks the Dixon curse and that is why Merle does not come often even when he wishes he could. The fact of the matter is that he lives a dangerous life, and the last thing he wants to do is connect ties to the great family his brother has made for himself. These new brand of Dixons are the last persons he ever wants to see hurt and that’s why he stays away. If he was to cut his outlaw strings and join their lives it would be like a priest walked into a bar, completely wrong and daring. And it does not matter he loves having dinner at the Dixons. In this house he is the priest and his brother’s family is the bar and it would be wrong for him to frequent such a place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and please review:)


	16. Surprise...

“Surprise!” Hershel exclaims as Beth exits the farmhouse.

There on front of the Greene farmhouse is a car. A black Ford Escort to be exact. She can see is not new. If she had to guess the car was about five years old, but regardless she loves it. It is her first car. She is finally going to be mobile, the independent woman she craves to be, and one who certainly does not rely on her father or sister to get her around.

“Daddy!” Beth gasps as soon as she sees the car. “Daddy, you got me a car!” She turns to tightly hug her father, elated about her gift.

“Yes, I did doodle bug,” Hershel answers her, hugging her just as tight as she is hugging him, and trying not to get emotional. His little girl grew up too fast. “You deserve it. You got straight A’s last school year, and now going to your senior year I do not want you waiting for me or Maggie to take you to school, or pick you up after your clubs.”

“Thank you, Daddy,” Beth answers placing a kiss on her father’s cheek. “Thank you so much, Daddy. I will take good care of this car.”

“I know you will,” Hershel responds back leading his daughter to her car. “I am still going to remind you though; you better not text and drive, or drive too fast.”

“I will never do that, Daddy,” Beth answers shaking her head. Then solemnly she adds, “I will never do that, especially after Momma and Shawn.”

Pursing his lips tightly Hershel answers to that, “Yes, do not do that especially for your momma and Shawn.”

They stand silent for a minute then, remembering their lost ones. Annette and Shawn Greene had passed away a little over two years before, however the scars for them were still fresh.

Breaking the silence, and replacing his frown with a small smile Hershel says cocking his head to the car, “Go on then, give this car a ride. Why don’t you drive to Jimmy’s? Show him your new gift. I am sure he’s going to be as happy as you about it. I’m sure the boy is tired of getting rides from Maggie and me too.”

Returning Hershel’s smile back Beth nods her head, and skips to her car. She’s both enthusiastic and nervous. She notices her hands are clammy once she is behind the wheel so she cleans them on her denim shorts. She adjusts the mirrors and her seat so she can reach the pedals, and once she feels she is in place she takes the keys from her daddy who is outside the door holding them out for her.

“Thank you, Daddy,” Beth repeats as she takes the keys and places them on the ignition. The car roars to life and Beth’s excitement uproars as well. Ladies and gentleman Beth Greene is mobile now; watch out, she thinks.

“Be careful, okay,” Hershel tells her as she changes gears and lightly removes her foot from the brake. “Don’t stay out too late, doodle bug.”

“I will and I won’t, Daddy” Beth calls out as she turns the wheel to head away from the farm and to her boyfriend Jimmy’s house that is only three miles away, “Thank you again!”

The drive takes her less than fifteen minutes, nevertheless she enjoyed it. She drives to Jimmy’s driveway, and notices the house is all dark. That is strange. Jimmy told her he was home last they texted and that was about ten minutes ago.

 Exiting her car Beth heads up the Campbell’s porch and knocks. No answer. She knocks another time, just in case, and still no answer. She’s about to turn and head back to her car when she hears laughter coming from the Campbell’s barn. She heads there thinking Jimmy is probably there hanging out, smoking weed with his friends. Instead she receives her second surprise of the day.

On one of the crates of the barn Jimmy is thrusting into Amy Harrison, her best friend.

They are both sweaty and moaning like porn stars. They are completely naked and Beth is frozen. She does not know what to thinking.

Jimmy moans, “Yeah baby. Gosh, I love you,” and Amy gasps, “Break up with Beth then.”

“You know I can’t break up with that prude, my parents will kill me if I do. They want the Greene farm so bad.”

Moaning some more, Amy answers, “Screw the Greene farm. Be with me, baby.”

“I want to.” Jimmy grunts as he tries too hard, from Beth’s opinion, to thrust his small dick deeper into Amy. “You know I want to…”

“Well you can,” Beth interrupts after her senses return and she process the situation. She tries hard to not let the tears in her eyes fall because Jimmy is not worth it, but the betrayal is too big to ignore. “Keep being with Amy, Jimmy. You and I are through.”

“Beth!” Both Amy and Jimmy gasp in surprise rising quickly from the missionary position on the crate to hide their bodies.

“Screw you both,” Beth shouts as she storms out of the barn and not giving them a chance to explain whatever they seemed ready to explain. Everything was self-explanatory anyways; the only thing that Amy and Jimmy could do was humiliate her more.

Beth starts her car then and quickly drives away from the Campbell’s.

All she wants to do is go home. She wants to cry on her pillow and burn some things. However, her tears are blinding her eyes so she pulls over to the side of the road. She’s five minutes away from her home, she could drive there, but she’s too emotional. The last thing she wants to do is let her daddy see her this way, or cause an accident, especially because of her new car.

The thought of her new car is what makes her breakdown. She was happy ten minutes ago. She was about to celebrate with her boyfriend, her daddy’s surprise for her. Instead now she is here betrayed, and with a broken heart, and a beautiful day now is gloomy.

She lets the tears fall endlessly from her eyes when she hears a motorcycle. She raises her head then because she knows who it is. It is Daryl. Daryl Dixon, the boy from her class who sometimes helps her daddy on the farm. The boy who if she had not been with Jimmy, she would gladly be with. She has secretly been in love with him for years.

Quickly wiping the tears from her cheeks, Beth rolls down her window when she hears Daryl call out her name.

“How did you know it was me?” Beth asks once he kneels down to look through her window, trying to steer the subject away from her surly red, swollen face.

“I uhm,” Daryl answers with a frown as he looks her over. “I went with your daddy to pick up the car for you. I helped him pick this car out for you.”

“Oh,” Beth answers completely surprised, for the third time that day, from this new information. Daryl helped her Daddy pick out this car for her. She decides she loves this car more, then.

“Beth?” Daryl asks her softly and Beth already knows what his question is going to be. “Why were you crying?”

She averts her eyes from him then, and it’s her turn to say, “I uhm,” she looks down to her lap and begins messing with a thread that is coming out of her shorts. “I just found out that Jimmy is cheating on me with Amy.”

Beth turns to look at him then and the anger in his intense blue eyes surprises her. “I found them having sex on the barn,” she adds and more tears fall from her eyes. She begins to put her head down again as she dies of embarrassment in front of Daryl Dixon, who, she believes, in no way shape or form could care less about her relationship troubles, when Daryl takes places his hand on her cheek and with his thumb erases her tears from her face.

“Don’t cry, Beth,” Daryl soothes her by saying, and in that moment Beth completely forgets about Jimmy, Amy, or her new car because the sensation of Daryl Dixon caressing her cheek clouds them all. “Jimmy is an idiot. I have always known he is an idiot,” Daryl whispers. “You should not waste your tears on him, okay?’

“Okay,” Beth whispers too immersed in Daryl’s eyes that have not broken eye contact with her since he placed his hand on her cheek. His eyes are eternally blue, she thinks. Then for some reason she says, “Jimmy said I was a prude,” she breaks eye contact then feeling her cheeks turning redder. “He said he was only dating me because his family wants our farm and they think they are going to get it through me.”

“Well they are all fucking idiots,” Daryl claims as he finally removes his hand from her face and places his elbows on the open window frame. “Beth,” Daryl says and she moves to look at him again but this time he looks down. “You are not a prude, and you are worth more than your farm. Do not let some stupid, entitled boy make you think otherwise, okay.”

“Okay,” Beth softly answers again, as her heart tries to beat out off her chest and into Daryl’s.

“Go home now, Beth,” Daryl says as he rises from his position against her car after a few minutes of them staring at each other, and turns towards his bike. “Congrats about your car by the way, and don’t worry about Jimmy anymore,” He tells her as he pats her car and heads to his bike. “I will take care of him,” Daryl darkly adds under his breath.

* * *

 

The next day as she is driving around town, not so subtly showing off her new car, she spots Jimmy. His lip is swollen and he has a black eye. He is walking with a limp, and when he spots her his eyes widen and he walks the other way from her as she parks her car and heads to the gazebo of the park in town where Daryl is with his friend Aaron.

Both Daryl and Aaron smile at her as she approaches, and as she does she notices some bandages on Daryl’s hands that were not there the day before. He must have been the one who beaten Jimmy up for her. She smiles wider at that, because of Daryl’s chivalry she is not surprised.


	17. May I?

It is May 15, and Maggie and Glenn just finished their first dance as a married couple.

The other guests join them on the dance floor, and Beth looks on as her parents sway to the slow music.

She is exultant. She loves the love in the air, and she is certain her cheeks are going to hurt the next day because she has not stopped smiling since that morning.

Beth stands on the sidelines and watches all the dancers, wishing she could find Shawn so he could dance with her. She suspects though that he is being naughty in the barn with his girlfriend so she is not going to go looking for him. She does not want to see what is possibly happening there.

She decides to dance by herself. Well sway to the music by her on the sidelines because she does not want to give her gossipy aunts any ammo to critique her with later. They always asks why she does not have a boyfriend when they come to visit. Today alone she has been asked plenty of times when can they expect her wedding invitation. She just ignored them then much to their annoyance. She is not going to let them talk about her just because she is not like them and got married so quickly. Most of her aunts got married at nineteen. They did live in different times, but her aunts do not want to see that. Ignorance is bliss, she thinks.

She continues swaying to the song Glenn’s DJ friend is playing when someone comes and stands next to her. She does not have to turn and look to know that is Daryl. She has always had a sort of radar for Daryl Dixon and has known when he is near her.

“May I?” Daryl gruffly asks her holding out his hand to her.

“Sorry?” Beth asks surprised by his question. Is Daryl Dixon really asking her to dance?  

“May I have this dance?” Daryl grunts quietly looking shy all of the sudden and not meeting her eyes.

“Yes, you may,” Beth answers with a smile and takes Daryl’s hand and leads him to the dance floor.

They walk to the edge of the dance floor and turn to look at each other. Daryl is wearing a blue dress shirt, a black tie, and black slacks. He actually brushed his hair and he looks as handsome as ever. He is looking uncertain to her and that is when she realizes he does not know what to do. She takes the hand she is still holding and places it on her waist. She takes his other and places her other hand on his shoulder, and then begins to lead the way.

They do not dance, they sway in place. She knows that is the most Daryl can do, as he looks down at his feet and makes sure he does not step on her.

“Do you remember when I asked you to help me learn how to dance for my junior prom?” Beth then interrupts the nice quiet they have as they sway, and makes Daryl remove his gaze from his feet and meet her eyes.

“Yeah,” Daryl hoarsely grunts back looking intensely at her she almost shivers.

“From what I am getting right now, you probably would not have been much help,” Beth tries to say teasingly as she smiles at him.

“Yeah,” Daryl grins at her effectively making the butterflies, that have been in her stomach the moment he stood next to her, fly wildly. “I do not even know why you asked me in the first place?”

“Are you kidding?” Beth responds stepping a little closer to him. “You are Daryl Dixon. You can do anything, or at least that is what I thought. That is why I asked.”

Scoffing Daryl adds as he, for a moment turns his head to the side and then goes back to meet her eyes. “There are a lot of things I can’t actually do, Greene.”

“Really,” Beth challenges him. “Like what?”

“Like,” Daryl begins to say before he pauses and stares at her for a moment as if he is trying to memorize her for some reason. Beth notes he almost looks afraid at that moment. “Like tell you that I love you.”

“Oh.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is continuation of the first chapter, But You Said..., from this very collection. I hope you guys like it and please review. Also know that in everything that I write Beth and Daryl always end up together, get married, have babies and live happily ever after, I just sometimes think it is not necessary to write that. Needless to say all I write is Bethyl happiness because that show, that I now hate, so now I do not name, did not have the brains to do it. Good night from Florida *drops mic like Lady Gaga did* :)


	18. Noodles...

Beth shaking his shoulder and saying “Daryl,” woke him up.

Opening his eyes and groaning Daryl turned to the alarm clock on his side table and saw that it was past midnight.

Turning to look at Beth, Daryl asked her, “What’s wrong?” though he knew why she woke him.

“Noodles, Daryl,” Beth repeated once again as she went back to fully lie down on the bed and face him. “I am really, really craving noodles.”

“It’s past midnight, honey,” Daryl replied as he moved his hand to comb through her hair and caress her.

“I know,” Beth answered moving her hands to her stomach. “Your child wants noodles though.”

Sighing in resignation, since when Beth used the whole ‘your child’ shtick she reminded him that he was the one who got her pregnant, Daryl stood from their bed, took some sweatpants from the dresser, put on his shoes, and went on his way to find her some noodles.

“Where do you figure I can buy you some noodles at this time of night?” He asked her in no way shape or form annoyed about her request as she tends to believe he is every morning after he has to go and satisfy her one o’clock cravings.

“Go to the dinner,” Beth answered as she moved on the bed, took his pillow and snuggled to it, breathing in his scent while she was at it. “T-Dog made some noodles for me there the other day, when I was craving them like tonight. They were the best noodles I’ve ever had. Phan’s noodles do not rival T-Dogs at all.”

“Okay,” Daryl answered going to Beth kissing her on her temple, and then moving to kiss her four month old belly. “I’ll be back,” He added as he watched Beth drift back to sleep.

Putting on his jacket, because it was a chilly night, Daryl decided to take his motorcycle, knowing the days that he had left to ride his Harley were numbered. He was definitely not going to ride it once his kid came along.

Lindas’s Diner was approximately ten minutes from their home. However, since it was one o’clock at night the streets were bare. It only took him six minutes to get to the twenty four hour diner.

From the parking lot he could see T-Dog by the counter, flirting with his wife Linda as if they were not already married. There were a few other patrons on the diner either getting ready to head to their late night shifts or insomniacs no one else in there small town would be up at that hour unless they had to work, could not sleep, or had pregnant wives.

The bell above the door ranged when he stepped in. T-Dog and Linda immediately turned to see who it was, and smiled at him when they realized it was him.

“Hey,” T-Dog greeted Daryl, who gave him a nod in return. “What is Beth craving now?”

“Noodles,” Daryl answered and T-Dog just bestowed him one of his trademark smiles.

“Coming right up,” T-Dog answered as he walked towards the kitchen.

“Would you like some coffee, hon,” Linda then asked him as he took a seat on one of the stools by the counter.

“No thank you I won’t be able to go back to sleep if I drink coffee right now,” Daryl answered the sweet owner of the diner. “What are you guys doing here so late?” Daryl could not help but ask the owners. “Doesn’t Oscar take over at night?”

“He does,” Linda answered as she took a rag and cleaned the already clean counters. “T and I are leaving for a short vacation in a couple of days so we are giving Oscar a few days off so he can get his rest.”

Nodding at that Daryl then thought to ask something that he had been wondering ever since Beth woke him up and requested noodles, “T, why did you even think of adding noodles to the menu?”

“I didn’t,” T-Dog answered from the kitchen while Linda laughed. “Beth was the one who thought that. One day she brings me all the ingredients to make noodles and tells me to make noodles for her. She’s pregnant so I wasn’t going to say no to her. She loved them though, and she left a big packet of noodles here just for times like these.”

“Huh,” was Daryl’s only answer to that. Inwardly he shook his head. He already knew that his wife was too much, but learning this from T-Dog he realized she was more than he thought. His girl definitely had everyone in this town whipped. It wasn’t just him.

Ten minutes later he was back home. He went to the kitchen and placed the noodles T cooked on a bowl and then went to his pregnant wife. She was sleeping on her side, still clutching his pillow, and after he placed the noodles on her side table, he gently shook her shoulder and woke her.

“Beth,” Daryl softly said. “I’ve got your noodles,”

“Yay!” Beth answered sleepily as she opened her eyes, and, as fast as she could, sat up.

Daryl sat on the bed next to her on the bed, and watched her as she devoured her noodles. His kid sure was doing a number on his mother. She would never dare to sleep so late before. He guessed though, that cravings overthrew every other rational thought about eating after seven at night.

After Beth finished the noodles, and Daryl placed the bowl on the kitchen sink and returned with a glass of water for Beth, he settled back on his side of the bed more than ready to go back to sleep. Beth, who went to the bathroom after she drank her water, then snuggled up to him, placed her head on his chest and said, “Thank you for going to get me the noodles. I love you.”

“I love you too,” Daryl answered as he placed one hand on Beth’s belly, and took Beth’s hand that was lying on his chest with his other.

“I have a question, though?” Daryl said before Beth could drift off again. “Why did you ask T-Dog to make the noodles for you and not me?”

He did not mean to be jealous but it was his duty as Beth’s husband to satisfy her every craving, and that meant cooking those cravings too. He was not much of a cook per se, but when it came to cooking for Beth he always tried his best.

“I was going to ask you to cook the noodles,” Beth revealed as she lifted her head from his chest to look at him. “But then you called me that day telling me how everyone at work was pissing you off, and then I remembered that I had woken you up that night to get me pizza, and I didn’t want to bother you. That’s why I went to T.”

“Beth,” Daryl whispered sincerely. “You do not have to be afraid of bothering me. You will never bother me.” He kissed her temple, and tightened his hold on her hand. “Next time you have any type of craving, you tell me. If I can cook it, I will cook it. If I can’t, I will drive wherever to get it, okay?”

“What about when I crave you?” Beth shamelessly asked him as she moved her hand from his hold, took his wrist, and proceeded to move it to her chest.

“I will more than happy to please,” Daryl answered as his pants began to tighten, and he moved over her to plant a passionate kiss on her sweet lips.


	19. Coffee...

It is his best friend’s birthday, and he forgot like an idiot.

He would forget. He has never been good at remembering people’s birthdays, but this is Beth’s birthday. He should have not forgotten. She is after all the most important person in his life.

Walking through the aisles of Target, Beth’s favorite store, Daryl tries to think of the previous times he has been at the store with her, which were endless because the girl could spend hours at the place. In the back of his mind he reprimanded himself for being a moody bastard and just pushing her cart while he was at the store with her. If he had been paying attention he could have easily been out of the store by now. Beth always showed him stuff she would love to get but didn’t, and as he walked the aisles he wished he could remember what those items were.

Growing fed up with himself, Daryl stops shopping by the aisle that separates the clothes from appliances. Taking a deep breath, and telling himself to stop freaking out Daryl takes in his surroundings. He sees where he is, reminding himself he is a hunter, and he needs to observe. The answer to his dilemma would be revealed once he observes and thinks clearly.

To his left are the clothes. He would never buy Beth clothes because he has no idea how to buy clothes for women in the first place, and if by any chance he did decided to buy Beth some clothes he would buy her flannels or hoodies because she is always borrowing or more like stealing his own.

To his right are the appliances, and when he sees the coffee makers he gets his answer. Beth loves coffee. The girl cannot function without the stimulant, and he believes she is the sole reason Starbucks is as successful as it is. The girl never has anything bad to say about the place unlike him who thinks it is too overrated, and a place full of preppy freaks.

He heads to the coffee makers, and decides then that he is not getting Beth one. The coffee makers are too complicated. They might be able to give Beth variety but he knows how she loves her coffee; simple and made in an orderly function. He decides then to look at Target’s coffee mugs, and buy one to Beth’s collection. He hates that he is going to, because the girl has more than enough coffee mugs, but he knows she loves them and that’s all that matters.

There are a variety of mugs that he would love to get for Beth. There is one that says _I Drink Coffee for Your Protection_ which is perfect for Beth. That girl needs to drink coffee for everyone’s protection, but mostly for his. He is the one who works with her, and spends most of his time with her, and he does not like to think about a coffee less Beth Greene. That is a horror in itself.

There is another mug that says _Messy Bun and Getting Stuff Done_ which again describes Beth to the point. He can’t remember, however if she already has it. There is a coffee mug that says _Coffee Because Anger Management Is Too Expensive_ , but that mug is more for him. There is a mug that says _If It Requires Pants or a Bra It Is Not Happening Today_ and that one definitely describes Beth on the weekends.

As he looks through all the options, Daryl grows overwhelmed. Why is it so difficult to shop for other people, he asks himself. Whenever he shops for himself he just gets what he needs and goes. He does not spend over thirty minutes in any store, but then again when it comes to him he does not overthink. He knows what he likes, and he knows what he wants. There is no reason to beat around the bush. However, with Beth it is all different.

Beth is perfect. She is an angel, and the best person he knows. She is kind, and emits a light of her own, and she is the reason he is happy to wake up in the morning. He loves that he gets to spend most of his time with her, and if she was not in his life he does not know what it would be of him. All he wants in life really is for her to be happy, and he makes his decision then.

 

 

He waits for Beth in her apartment. He knows that her family is taking her for dinner to celebrate her birthday and he does not want to intrude in their family get together despite what the Greene’s say.  

He has Beth’s present in a pretty storage box that he saw at the store as well, and he cannot help but bounce his leg up and down as he anxiously waits for Beth. He does not really know why he is nervous. This birthday is not the first birthday he has spent with Beth. This is, however, their first birthdays as best friends. The other birthdays they were more like enemies, and that was mostly because Shawn was his best friend at the time, and she was the little sister he like to annoy. Shawn passed away though and that brought them together. Beth and he were the other two people who missed Shawn the most after Annette and Hershel.

The door opening interrupted his thoughts. Beth entered her apartment with a big smile, that made him smile in return, and a few presents.

“Hey you,” Beth said when she saw him. She looked beautiful today wearing a pastel pink dress, her favorite boots, and her hair down. She was wearing little make up, and she seemed happy and that made him happy and almost forget about his anxiety over his present.

“Hey,” Daryl replied as he stood from his place on her sofa walked through her and kissed her on the cheek effectively making both of them blush. “Happy Birthday”

“Thank you,” Beth answered as she moved to place her presents on the center table in her living room. “I missed you at dinner,” she added as she turned to face him once again.

“Sorry,” was all Daryl could think to answer that.

“It’s okay,” Beth replied with a smile, moving to sit on her sofa, and beckoning Daryl to do the same. “You can make it up to me though.”

“How?” Daryl curiously asked bringing his thumb to his lips and chewing on the skin around his nail.

“By kissing me,” Beth replied with a sly smile.

“Beth,” Daryl replied wondering when they were going to get past this.

“Daryl.”

“Beth, I can’t kiss you.”

“Yes you can.”

“No, I can’t. I promised Shawn.”

“You promised Shawn that you will take care of me. You didn’t promise him how. C’mon Daryl you know Shawn would not have anything against you and me being together. He would rather it be you with me than someone like Jimmy. Who is perfectly imperfect for me despite what you think.”

The room grew silent then. Daryl had no idea what to say. He wanted to flee from her, but he promised himself he would never do that again. He had to man up and face whatever challenges he and Beth went through.

Feeling her staring at him, Daryl’s leg began to shake again. He knew she was waiting for an answer from him, but he did not know. He did not know what to think, it was like he was not in his body at the moment.

He remembered his present then and decided to give it to her and have her open it to buy himself some time to think. Standing from his place on the sofa Daryl took the flower pattern box and gave it to her.

“Here,” Daryl said as Beth looked from the box to him. He immediately could tell she loved the box. When he bought it he instantly knew what she would use it for; her music sheets, “Happy Birthday.”

“Oh, Daryl” Beth responded opening the box and seeing its contents. “You shouldn’t have. These are awesome,” She said as she looked through the _If It Requires Pants or a Bra It Is Not Happening Today_ mug, the _Messy Bun and Getting Stuff Done_ mug, the _I Drink Coffee for Your Protection_ mug _,_ and another mug that said _Have a Nice Day_ and had a middle finger on the bottom which he really liked.

Beth laughed as she looked through the mugs and then said, “These mugs definitely describe me. Thank you,” and she smiled warmly at him.

“Yeah,” Daryl replied moving his eyes from the mugs to her eyes. “I hate that I am adding to your crazy mug collection, but I couldn’t think of anything else to give you.”

“You could have given me you,” Beth replied blatantly as she rotated one of the mugs in her hand, seeming to have no care in the world.

“Beth,” Daryl replied shaking his head. This girl has some balls. She is more valiant than he would ever be.

Rising to his feet Daryl turned around and left her apartment. He could hear Beth calling his name, telling him that he could not leave just like that again, but he wasn’t leaving this time.

In his truck there was another present he bought for Beth but was not planning on giving her. Taking it from his truck, Daryl returned to Beth who was standing outside her home sad, and confused the complete opposite of when she arrived.

“I love you,” Daryl said as he handed her the mug. “I love you to the moon and back, like this mug says. I wish I could give you me, but… but Beth I don’t know. I’m not perfect and you deserve someone perfect.”

“No I don’t, Daryl,” Beth replies quietly looking from the mug to him, hypnotizing him with her ethereal blue eyes. “I deserve you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idk what this is. This is what came out for this prompt which was coffee (which is something I am tired of by now).


	20. Grass...

On a clearing, they lay on the grass.

They try to catch their breath because they have just run about two miles nonstop.

He knows it is dangerous to lie as they are, but at the moment he does not care. His lungs are burning and his calves as well.

She believes she is never going to catch her breath. She does not know, however, if she is either not catching it from all the running, or the panic attack that was inevitable. She just witnessed her father’s violent death. She gets to lie in pain.

He turns to look at her to make sure she is okay. She is not, cannot be, and that is okay, but he has to help her through her panic attack. He is after all her protector, the knight in charge of taking care of the princess.

“Beth,” He calls to her, his voice rougher than usual. “Breathe, Beth. Breathe.”

“I cannot,” she hyperventilates back and he sees tears leaving her eyes.

“Yes you can girl,” Daryl replies sitting up and moving closer to her. “Breathe, Beth,” Daryl repeats placing his hand gently on her cheek.

“I cannot,” Beth repeats and Daryl tries to stay calm. She cannot die, not her. What would he do without her? What would he do without his princess?

“Breathe for me, Beth,” Daryl pleas and this time she tries harder to breathe, however, she is still not successful.

She cannot take a full breath.

He has to do something. He cannot lose his princess.

He thinks back then to all the times that they have kissed. Though they should have never kissed because she is a princess and he just a knight. They kissed and fell in love. It was inevitable like she likes to remind him. They are meant to be.

He thinks back to all the times they have kissed and remembers how she stole his breath. Maybe if he kisses her, she will steal his; it is not like she has never done that.

She is still hyperventilating as he moves his lips to hers. He kisses hard, but tries with all his might to be gentle. He cannot be gentle, though, when all he wants is for her to breathe.

The kiss lasts about thirty seconds, but it is successful. Beth is breathing steadier, and staring widely at him when he removes his lips from her.

There is grass on her hair, and the pretty braids her handmaidens do on her are long gone. She clutches his shirt, and her other hand clutches her chest. Her tears stain her eyes, as well as, her sweat, but she still is the most beautiful princess in all the land, and she is his.

“Thank you my love,” Beth whispers after a while of intense staring between the two of them. “Thank you,” she repeats and then throws her hands around his neck, crushing him to her.

“Nothing to be thankful for, my love,” Daryl replies as he turns his head to her hair, and breathes in her scent. “You know I will always be here. I will always protect you, and I will always save you.”

“And I,” Beth says as she places sweet kisses on his throat. “I will be here. I will always protect you, and I will always save you.”

“Thank you, love,” Daryl replies to her not bothering to fight her words like any other knight would do to a maiden who said something like his princess did. Beth will always save him. She will always protect him; not physically like he protects her, but emotionally, mentally. His princess is a knight in a different sense in the world, and he is livid about the regicide they just witnessed.

How dare anyone do that to his princess? How dare anyone do that to the king, the best king their land has had? How dare anyone strip his princess of her home?

He certainly does not know. He does know that his princess will not suffer much after this, nevertheless. He will protect her, and he will save her. That is what he has vowed to always do anyway. This time, though, he will do it right. If he has to kill any man in their land, so he will with no mercy. If he has to sacrifice himself for her, he will with no second thought. No one will hurt his princess, no one will touch her, and as they lay on this damp grass clutching each other, two miles away from her home, he vows that his princess will have the happily ever after she deserves, they just need to catch all little more breath.  


	21. Coaster...

Beth is tired.  She is depressed.

She wishes she could scream. She wishes the world was not like it is, but it is, and she lacks the motivation to change it.

She is scared, and she does not care about many things anymore, and it is funny because she used to care a lot. Who cares, though, if she does not use a coaster on her mahogany dresser, or if she does not floss? Who cares if she does not make her bed, or drive the speed limit?

She certainly does not care. She is tired. She is sad. She wants to cry, but can’t. She wants to scream, but can’t because her parents will hear, run to her, and ask her what’s wrong like she knows what’s wrong.

She is just sad. She does not care. She is just tired.

Life is a rollercoaster, and the adrenaline is gone for her now, and she wants to cry because not just a few days ago she was happy. She was okay, but today she is sad, and tired, and does not care.

She feels nothing, but everything at once. Beth feels trapped in her bedroom, but also free. Her room is after all the only place she can be.

Right? No. She can be in that swing. That swing that one day mysteriously appeared not far from her parent’s farm, and that helps her clear her head as she flies in the air.

Beth decides to head there.

She throws on a gray hoodie because the air is chilly outside. She puts on her flip flops because she does not feel like tying shoe laces at the moment. She walks out of the farm and heads to the swing determinedly because she is sad, she feels nothing and there is no reason for her to.

She walks for most of the trip, but once she sees the swing she runs for it through the foliage. She runs as if she’s being chased and that swing is her only salvation, and perhaps it is.

The swing is held together by rope. The seat is an expertly sanded piece of wood, and she gingerly sits on it. She doesn’t start swinging right away. She just sits. She just takes in the scene. The air is chillier but fresh. The ground is hard, and littered with leaves. The animals are hibernating, so they are not there to bless her with their beauty.

She does not know why, but that thought makes her gloomier, so she starts to swing her legs. She swings, and swings until she flies, and her hair is wild, and the adrenaline she gets when she rides rollercoasters returns.

Tears fell down her face sometime as she swung. She feels them now that she’s stopped. She clutches the ropes, which keep her from the ground, tightly. She cries for a saddens she doesn’t know where it came from. She cries for the world, and its state.

A branch breaking stops her mid sob.

She looks up and there is a man. He is wearing a blue flannel, and jeans. His hair is scruffy, and so is his facial hair. If she was one of those people who liked to judged people before she got to know them she would say that he is a lumberjack. He certainly looks like one with his attire and all.

“Who are you?” Beth stammers at the man who she notices has his hands raised up as if he was guilty of something. Well he is guilty of disturbing her while she wants to be alone.

“I’m Daryl,” the man responds with a gravelly voice.

“I’m Beth,” she says even though he did not ask.

Daryl nods, lowers his hands and burrows them in his pockets. “Why are you crying, Beth?”

At first she is shocked. How does this man have the balls to ask her such personal question? It is none of his business. She then thinks. She doesn’t know why she is crying. She just is, and she doesn’t know if Daryl will understand that.

“I don’t know,” Beth decides to answer honestly, and she sees Daryl nod his head. Maybe he does understand, and does not need an explanation.

She then sits there for a minute, and he stands. The silence between is just silence, not in any way awkward, and she wonders how it can be like that. She doesn’t know this man, he just walked to her, as she cried on this mysterious swing.

“Do you know where this swing came from?” She then asks, the question popping on her out of nowhere. Perhaps Daryl knows where it came from.

“Yeah,” he utters leaning to a tree near him. “I put it there.”

“You?” Beth asks completely shocked. “You placed this swing here.”

“Yeah,” he answers again looking too intensely at her, and raising goose bumps on her skin. “I put it there for my niece. I babysit her sometimes, and she loves swings.”

Beth’s frowns at that. “Why would you place a swing for your niece in the middle of the woods?”

“I didn’t” Daryl responds back, looking amused, and she wanders what is amusing. “I put the swing in my backyard.”

“In your backyard” Beth responds surprised again. “This is your backyard?”

“Yeah,” Daryl answers, and this time he actually lets his amusement show. “  
My cabin is right over there,” He says as he points east, and to a cabin she never noticed through the foliage.

“Oh,” is Beth’s response as she rises from the swing feeling completely out of place. “I…I didn’t know. I didn’t know any one lived out here.”

“I just built the cabin a few months ago,” Daryl informs her. “I bought some land from Dale. You know him?”

“Yeah,” She nods, thinking to their neighbor who a couple of weeks left on a road trip in his beloved R.V. “He is our neighbor to the east, though I guess that’s you now.”

“I guess,” Daryl answers, and he continues to intensely look at her.

“So,” She begins to say wondering just how many times he has seen her in his backyard and not said anything. “Um have you seen me here before?”

“Yeah,” Daryl responds and for the first time he looks away from her. “I was going to say something,” he continues scratching his head, and she notices his ears are turning red. “But you looked so at peace on the swing, and I couldn’t take that away from you.”

“Oh,” she says almost in a whisper. “Thank you.”

Daryl nods at that. “It was nothing.”

“No,” she corrects him making him meet her eyes again. “It was something. This place…This swing,” she explains as she turns to look at the wooden seat he must have sanded down. “It means a lot to me. It’s the only place I can be, you know.”

“Yeah. I know,” Daryl grunts back continuing looking at her.

She then looks back at him, and she notices his eyes. They are blue. They are almost too blue, but nevertheless the most beautiful eyes she has seen.

Clearing his throat, breaking eye contact yet again Daryl says, “You can come to this swing whenever you want. It doesn’t bother me.”

“It doesn’t,” she can’t help but ask.

“Nah,” he answers seeming like he wants to run away. “All you do is swing on it.”

“Okay,” she answers thinking that she must leave but not wanting to.

“Um, so how long have you been living here?” She questions, mentally slapping her head for being too curious. This man does not owe her his life story even if he was asking her too personal questions. Well, question. A question that for some reason felt good to be asked.

“Since September,” he tells her.

September. That sounds about right. The swing appeared around that time.

“Well welcome to the neighborhood,” She says trying to be welcoming despite he has been living here for six months now.

“Thanks,” He responds looking at her through his hair. He seems shy now.

She moves toward him then wanting to be more courteous since the space between them makes her uncomfortable. Though she should be afraid of the man, she doesn’t know anything about him, she gets the feeling he’s not bad unless he’s a good actor.

“I’m Beth,” she introduces herself again, thinking they need a better introduction; she doesn’t want him to remember her as the crying girl that sometimes swings on his swing.

“Daryl,” he says taking her hand in his much larger one.

“Nice to meet you, Daryl.” She replies with a smile.

“Nice to finally meet you, Beth,” Daryl says giving her a small smile in return.

She heads back home after that. She excuses herself from Daryl, and returns home not feeling that saddens, or that carelessness. She feels like she’s on another roller coaster now. The Daryl roller coaster. The one that has her filled with curiosity, and making her look forward to the next time she will see this man, who walked into her life out of nowhere, gave her a place to be though he didn’t know, and made her forget her sadness.

 


	22. Flower Patterns...

They appeared out of nowhere; the flowers.

Maggie suspected it was Zach, who gave her the lilies and the begonias, and for a while she thought so too, but Zach died and the flowers or flower knick knacks still appear.

Just like today.

Today what she has received is a bracelet.

It is a gold charm bracelet with a couple of flower charms dangling from it. She absolutely loves it. It fits her wrist perfectly, and it is something beautiful in an ugly world that she gets to have. She loves it. She only wishes she knew who gave it to her. She wishes she knew who was kind enough to think about her when they were out there in the danger. She wishes she knew who risked his or her life to bring her those lilies and begonias, this bracelet, those notebooks with flower pattern covers, and sheets.

She tells herself not to go there. She tells herself to not think that it is Daryl who is giving her these flowers, and flower knick knacks. She tries to tell herself that he was not paying attention when she told Carol, while they cooked dinner for the rest of the prison, that her favorite things in the world used to be flowers, music, and horses, and today it is running water, and walls, when he dropped off a rabbit for them to cook too.

She tells herself that a man as handsome, who could have any woman he wants if the world hadn’t ended, would not want her. She tries to tell herself that to him she is just Judith’s babysitter, and the youngest Greene in the prison. She tries to forget those minutes, that hug, she and Daryl shared when he told her of Zach’s pass. She tells herself that nothing changed that night, that Daryl does not interacts with her more than he used to before (lie). She tells herself that he only stood up for her and supported her when she went to the council and fought to be more than Judith’s babysitter, and housekeeper because she had a good point.

She tries to tell herself that it is not Daryl giving her these gifts. She really does try. However in her heart of hearts she knows it is him. She knows that it could only be him.

He is, after all, the one who goes out of the gates the most. He is the one who always manages to bring in the most supplies. Also, he is the one who looked down, the one who blushed, the one who cleared his throat and excused himself when she asked Michonne and Sasha if they knew who could have brought back for her these amazing gifts for her.

She knows it is him. She desperately wishes it is him. She wishes that she is right because not so long ago she fell for Daryl Dixon, the man who trains her, reminds her to always  carry her knife with her, who cares about her safety, and comfort, and never fails to remind her that she is safe when she forgets.

Looking at her wrist. Looking at her new bracelet which does not serve the purpose to hide her scar, she decides. She decides to investigate these flower patterns, because life is too short now to overthink, and bring yourself down. She is going to act. She is going to get answers. She is going after the guy who is kind enough to bring her flowers to make her happy.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey...what's up??? With me nothing much but a lot at the same time which is why it took me about four drafts and forever to write for this prompt. It is not the best, but it is the best that is going to come out of me so thank you for reading and please review.


	23. Lemon Wedges...

One of the things he absolutely loves about his wife is that when she sets out to do something, she sets out to do it as best as she can. Not perfectly though, because as she likes to remind him that no one is perfect, and perfection cannot be reached.

 She is perfect to him however.

Anyways he loves that his wife always sets out to do everything and anything as best as she can. He loves her determination, her drive, and confidence. What he loves the most though is her optimism.

Boy is his wife optimistic. She is super optimistic that sometimes it is even annoying. However, no matter how annoyed he can get because of her faith, and hope he will never strip that away from her. Out of the two of them, one has to remain alight, and he will always make sure that it is her.

Today is a beautiful day. The sun is high and bright in the sky, warming them just right. The grass, they are sitting over, is the green it should be, and the birds are singing majestic songs.

They are at the park enjoying an impromptu picnic that Beth got together as fast as she could.

They had been home when he suggested they had this picnic. He had never really had one before, so the thought of doing something new, doing something new with his wife made him suggest they went on a picnic promptly.

Usually on Sundays they were just were. Sometimes he would go hunting, and sometimes she would go thrifting. Today, however, they were just going to be at home. Perhaps they would have fooled around some; perhaps they would have watched a movie. He is glad though that they decided to come on this picnic.

As they sit on the grass and enjoy the ham and cheese sandwiches that Beth put together, Daryl reflects. He reflects on how much he loves his wife.

She is sitting right in front of him wearing black shorts, a t-shirt, and his red plaid shirt. She is talking about how she is excited to go to work tomorrow to show her students the next craft they are going to make; their own pins that they are going to have to go to the school’s cafeteria to bake. Her hair is intricately braided back, but some fly away hair is blowing with the breeze. She is smiling wide as she imagines how her students are going to react when they see the shrink film, they are going to make the pins with, shrink in the oven, and how one of her most innocent students, Josh he think is he boys name, while probably shriek that it’s magic that shrunk the film, and not science like she tries to remind him.

Daryl smiles as she speaks, and reflects on how much he loves his girls love for her students. He wishes he had a teacher like Beth while he was in school. Perhaps if he had had a teacher like her he would have focused more on his work, and strived for more than a C.

Anyhow, he loves his wife. He loves her love for her students. He loves her determination, her drive, and confidence. He loves that no matter how tough life gets she still maintains her hope and faith. He loves, also, that when sets out to do something, she sets out to do it as best as she can, like the lemonade she made for their picnic.

She could have packed them some of the sodas they have at home, but his lovely wife did not do so. In the short hour they set out to get their picnic ready, Beth managed to make some great sandwiches, cut some apples and strawberries for them, and make her famous lemonade. She even added the lemon wedges, she tells him her lemonade could survive without but could not please the same without.

She set out to do for him the best picnic he could ever have and that is why he loves her. That is why he loves his Beth.

Beth is the person who always tries her best. Beth is the person who never lets anyone bring her down. Beth is the person who gives everyone a chance, and does not judge on first impressions. She is the one who children flock to. She is the one who keeps him in check. She is determination, and she is confidence. She is kindness. She is love.

She is the girl who once upon a time he tried to forget; to erase from his mind, but ultimately came back to him because they were always meant to be. And the fact that he was always meant to be with a girl who always sets out to do her best, when he set out to do what he could, speaks volumes to him.

He could have ended up marrying a girl who did not care if the lemonade had lemon wedges or not. He could have married a girl who did not care if he had had a picnic before or not. He could have married a girl who would not bring light into his life, or made him proud that she was his wife. He could have ended up alone, and as he has learned, that is no life at all.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow up to chapter four of this collection, Red Plaid Shirt. Hope you guys enjoyed it and drop me a review why don't ya;)  
> Thanks.


	24. Telephone Cord...

In the early 2000’s there was a girl who pissed of her mother Annette for always tangling the telephone cord. She could not help it though she was talking to her boy, and she was smitten.

His name was Daryl and her name was Beth. They met at the grocery store where they both work, and subsequently fell in love.

Because Daryl lived on the other side of town from her they always talked on the phone when they could not meet. He called her on a prepaid Nokia, and she called him from the phone unit that was in her home’s living room.

These two could talk for hours. About what? Well about this, and about that, and sometimes about nothing. They were a typical couple in love, and whilst her mother loved their love she was tired of adding to her list of chores: detangling the telephone cord.

That is why when Daryl proposed Annette felt bittersweet. She was happy for her daughter, and for the man who undeniably loved her. She was happy for her telephone cord. She was a bit sad, however, that she would not have her sweet daughter home with her anymore.

Who she was to deny anyone their true love, though? No one.

It was true that Daryl did not have the best upbringing or last name.

It was true that Daryl was almost ten years older than his daughter.

All these things were true, as well as, the fact that Daryl was devoted to her daughter.

That is why she had no qualms, or help opposition. That is why even though they went through four telephone cords she let her daughter marry the man that made her happy.

There could have been worst things destroyed or tangled. She just has to remember Maggie and be glad that her sweet Beth only tangled telephone cords.


	25. Used Tissue...

It was the sixth hour of her eight hour shift. Beth was adding napkins to the napkin dispenser on the counter as she tried to ignore the rumble in her stomach. She had to bypass her break because a sudden rush of college students, most likely coming in after midterms, prevented her from taking one.

She tried to also ignore the stinging pain her feet were giving her, or the smell of T-Dog’s famous cheesesteak. She was waiting on two tables so she could not take a break. She refused to take a break. If she did she would have nothing to keep her mind busy with and she will remember. She will remember Daryl Dixon who on this day, one year prior, disappeared out of her life with no trace.  

She had no clue as to where he was. She knew that he was somewhere, he had to be. Daryl would not just leave her. He promised he was always going to be there for her, and before he vanished he always was.

The little bell above the door that alerted them of new patrons tolled as someone new came in. Not looking up because she knew that it was probably Dale coming for his usual, Beth continued to see about the counter, which had been a mess after the rush left, until a crash of dishes startled her out of her work. Her heart was pumping piercingly in her chest as she turned to the source of the crash, and she was more shocked to see that it was Carol who dropped the dishes. Hurrying to her Beth noticed that Carol had pale. She looked like she had seen a ghost.

“Carol,” Beth inquired as she finally reached Carol and tried to catch her eye. “What’s wrong?” she uneasily asked as she took Carol’s shaking hands.

“Daryl,” Carol softly muttered as she took one of her hands, and pointed.

“What?” Beth asked thoroughly confused as she followed Carol’s finger.

If she had been holding a tray of dishes like Carol had she would have dropped them too. At the foot of the door stood Daryl Dixon looking worse for wear, he was wearing sweatpants and sweatshirt with the letter A printed on it. He looked ragged and malnourished. He was the complete opposite picture that he had been before she last saw him. He had looked ten times handsome that day wearing his deputy uniform, more than ready to go to work.

“Daryl,” Beth was the one to mutter now, taking a step back and slipping a little on an used tissue that had been with dishes that Carol dropped.

She was dreaming. She had to be. She probably relented to Carol and T Dog’s pleas, took a break, and fell asleep. That is what happened. That is what must have happened because Daryl Dixon could not just appear just like he vanished; that only happened in her dreams.

“This is a dream,” Beth said to herself as she tried to keep herself from falling on the broken plates, and glasses that were on the floor. “This is a dream,” she repeated.

“No, sweetheart,” Daryl croaked as he lowered his eyes, that had been previously been looking at her, to the floor. “It’s not a dream. It’s me, Daryl.”

Tears filled her eyes then. A knot in her throat formed, and she started struggling to draw a breath. If it had not been for Carol, who placed her hands on her shoulders, she would have been on the cluttered floor by now.

“Daryl?” Carol said forgetting her astonishment and asking the question that Beth could not stop hyperventilating to ask. “Where have you been? What happened to you?”

“Uhm,” Daryl answered raising his hollow eyes again, and looking as if he wanted to run. “Can we…Can we take this somewhere else?”

Remembering where they were, and seeing that they had an audience that had no business in this situation despite the fact they had heard about Daryl Dixon and whereas surprised as Beth and her, Carol answered, “Yes, of course.”

“Here,” T-Dog then spoke up after he ran from the kitchen when Carol first dropped the dishes. “Let’s go to the office. I’ll lead Beth.”

Gently placing his hands on Beth, who could not draw a full breath, or stop staring at Daryl, T-Dog told her what he was going to do and led Beth to the diner’s office whilst Carol slowly approached Daryl and took his dirty hand surprising Carol because he did not refuse like the old Daryl would have.

At the small office T-Dog slowly helped Beth sit on one of the chairs, and then stepped out to allow Carol and Daryl to enter. Once they did Carol stepped out of the office as well but not before evaluating if she should.  Once alone Beth finally composed herself enough to raise a hand towards Daryl which he hurriedly took, seeking contact with her as much as she was with him.

Holding him, holding his hand Beth finally realized that she was not dreaming. Daryl was really there with her. She started to sob then. The man she thought of everyday, the man who held her heart, was the father of her son, and who she loved above all was there. He was kneeling right there in front of her looking as if he had been to hell. The throbbing pain she felt in her chest then was unbearable. She did not understand. She had no words. She was about to lose her breakfast.

Placing her other hand on his hollowed, sweaty cheek that made her want to weep more, Beth looked into his eyes. His eyes that had held a bright light that always illuminated her days when she saw it first thing she woke up was faint. It was there, but it was not as bright as it had been. His hair, that had been a little shaggy before, was now short, growing uneven in different places as if it was carelessly chopped with a hair trimmer. His shoulders were caved in and not as broad as before, and his hands were not as meaty either. He definitely had not been fed wherever he had been which prompted her to ask in a whisper through all her snot and tears, “Where have you been?”

Looking down to their intertwined hands, Daryl croaked again, “I was in a warehouse in Virginia. I was taken by a psychopath who, I don’t know if you remember, tried to bribe me four years ago into helping his trafficking business.”

“Negan,” Beth gasped, tightening the hold she had on his hand, and taking her other and placing it over her mouth.

“Yeah,” Daryl muttered tightening his hold on her hand as he moved closer to her, almost as if seeking comfort. “Negan.”

 


	26. Leopard Print...

She is not jealous. She is not. She certainly does not want to rip off the blonde hair extensions, or pop, with a pitchfork, the plastic boobs of the woman in the leopard print dress that is clearly occupying Daryl’s attention. She certainly does not want to throw the whiskey the woman is drinking at her either.

What she is, is angry. Oh yeah, she is furious. Furious at herself for believing that a man like Daryl, who can get any woman he wants with just a sly smirk, would want her. Compared to the bimbo sitting far too off the edge of her stool, practically sitting on Daryl, Beth is a prepubescent teenage girl. She lacks curves, full lips, or cup D breasts. She lacks the attitude, that bad ass attitude, which would not make her seem out of place in this biker bar. Most importantly she lacks the strength that would help her not jump out of her bones every time the club does something dangerous; every time Daryl, the Sergeant in Arms, is out there in danger.

Narrowing her eyes, pursing her lips after drawing a deep breath, Beth heads to Daryl then with her chin held high. Oh, she is more than ready to cause a scene because she loves this man; she thought he loved her, and her heart is starting to crack into pieces as she looks on at the scene in front of her.

“Daryl Dixon!” Beth exclaims with conviction, trying with all her might not to crack like she is on the inside.

“Beth,” Daryl responds turning on his stool and effectively making that bimbo dislodge from him. At first sight Daryl looks happy to see her, he is smiling a little, and he looks more than ready to pull him to her like he always does when they are together. He does not do that though once he sees her sour expression.

“What’s wrong?” he asks looking concerned immediately.

Ignoring his question, Beth asks him her own, whilst crossing her arms over her chest, and nodding to the leopard chick next to him. “Who’s this?”

“Who is who?” Daryl asks back, taking a step towards her, looking thoroughly confused.

“Her,” Beth answers thoroughly annoyed herself for having to point out the obvious.

Turning to look at the bimbo and then back to Beth, Daryl answers with an obvious tone, “This is Joycelyn, remember? Merle’s old lady.”

“Hey, Beth,” Joycelyn greets her waving her manicured hand slightly at her, and smiling wide at her. “How are you?”

“I’m…I’m good,” Beth stutters as she gives Joycelyn a look over. She is an idiot. She is an absolute idiot. She wants the ground to eat her up. She wants to reverse time, or just not exist because the bimbo _is_ Joycelyn. Joycelyn, who is Merle’s old lady, taught her how to be an old lady for a member of the club, and who a week prior left for Los Angeles to get a boob job, butt implants, and a lip job because she was not “twenty anymore.”

Completely ignoring Daryl, and not meeting his eyes because she knows, oh she knows, that he is onto her, Beth settles her attention on Joycelyn and asks her, “How are _you_? How do you feel? You look amazing.”

“Yeah, almost unrecognizable,” Daryl chimes in, and Beth is going to get him for that later.

“Oh, thank you!” Joycelyn enthusiastically responds, sweeping her hands over her dress. “I feel great, though I still can’t sit properly. The surgeon it was going to take a couple of days for that, but otherwise I feel amazing. So empowered. And Merle loves everything too.”

“I bet,” Daryl says, and Beth can hear his smirk. She’s so screwed.

 

* * *

 

 

“You know I only have eyes for you,” Daryl says later in their home, after leaving the bar. “You know I love you, right?”

“I do,” Beth guiltily replies, staring at her bare legs as she sits on her side of the bed.

“Then why did you look more than ready to rip Joycelyn’s hair off, and yank my balls off with some pliers?” Daryl asks her as he strips off his shirt and jeans, and lays down facing her, placing one hand on her leg.

“Because…” Beth begins to say before pausing and taking a deep breath. In the few hours since they left the bar she has thought why she reacted the way she did. It hurt to admit it but she was not going to lie to herself or Daryl, and say she reacted the way she did for another reason. “Because I’m insecure.”

“Insecure?” Daryl repeats more than surprised than his beautiful wife would ever feel insecure. Insecure was the last thing in the world she should ever feel. “Why the hell would you feel insecure?”

“Because,” Beth responds this time meeting Daryl’s eyes with her glossy ones. “I don’t fit the mold of an old lady. I… I don’t look tough at all, or have the body that an old lady should have. I don’t have the wardrobe either. An old lady should wear leather, and six inch high heels not sundresses, t-shirts, or flats.”

“I love your sundresses, t-shirts, and flats,” Daryl sincerely answers while stroking her leg.

“You’re just saying that,” Beth dismisses, knowing that Daryl would not just say something, but also believing that he would just say something like that to her to make her feel better.

Rising from his spot, Daryl gently pushes Beth to lay down on the bed, and then proceeds to straddle her legs putting most of his weight on his knees.

 “I would never just say that,” He vindicates while pushing his _Guns and Roses_ t-shirt that she uses to sleep in off her body, leaving her in just her panties.

“I love your sundresses,” he says while leaning down to place a kiss on her collarbone.

“I love your t-shirts,” He kisses her chest.

“I love your flats, especially because it comforts me that you’re not killing your feet,” He kisses the top of her breast.

“I love your body,” He says, moving to place a wet kiss on her left nipple effectively making her moan, and him reel. “I really love your body, and I wish I could worship your body all hours of the day, and make an altar for it.”

“Daryl,” Beth moans, enjoying every sensation he is making her feel.

“Shh, sweatheart,” Daryl mutters against her lips whilst caressing her ribs. “I’m going to show you, imprint on your body why you should never feel insecure,” Moving to remove her panties and settle between her legs Daryl adds, “Not with me. Never with me, my love. My old lady. The only old lady I will ever ever want.”


	27. USB...

In Katie’s Bakery & Café, Beth Greene devotedly typed on her laptop.

She was working on a ten page research paper for her Greek Mythology class that was due in one short day. She had been working, and researching in every nook and cranny for this paper, and she was almost done. She rejoiced about that. She was almost done. She could finally get her breath and her life back.

For the last few weeks all she had had on her mind was Greek Mythology. She was more than exhausted of Athena, Artemis, Apollo, Hades, and Zeus and all the parts he birthed children from. She sported dark circles under her eyes, and her hair was a forgotten mess she just pulled back in a ponytail, and honestly she did not care. All she wanted to do was finish her paper, take a more than deserved break, and the go on to worry about her final exams.

Sighing, and taking a sip of the coffee she now relented to drinking black, Beth wondered, not for the first time, why three Humanities classes were necessary for her to take. She was on the road to become a music teacher.

Whilst rubbing her eyes that were getting tired from staring at her laptop screen, Beth heard the ringtone she set for Maggie go off on her phone.

“Hello,” Beth answered as she then moved her cursor to save her work for the hundredth time to her USB. Her paranoia was real. She could not lose her work.

“Beth,” Maggie replied sounding annoyed. “Did you forget something?”

“No?” Beth slowly contested narrowing her blue eyes as she tried to remember if she did in fact forget something. Coming up with nothing Beth added, “Did I?”

“Yes!” Maggie all but shouted into her phone. “You forgot that my car is in the shop, that you’re supposed to pick me up from Glenn’s at two.”

“Shit,” Beth muttered under breath, and she then did remember that she did make such promise. Looking at her laptops clock she saw the time. It was 2:30. She was thirty minutes late. Maggie was going to kill her once she picked her up.

“I’m on my way,” Beth answered rising from her seat and hurriedly placing all her books and research on her backpack. Slamming her laptop shut, she retrieved her laptop back, and moved to place it in it. She struggled a little placing the laptop in its bag, but she managed and afterwards she swiftly left her table, but not before slamming into a body.

She did not get a good look but she was certain she slammed into Daryl Dixon, her unrequited love, or so she thought.

“Sorry,” she apologized as she gave a brief glance to Daryl, begging her cheeks not to blush, and not drop her bags.

“No problem, Beth,” Daryl responded with that gruff, sexy voice of his that made her insides churn.

Giving him a slight smile, Beth then moved on to go pick her sister up, while also trying to not make a big deal about the fact that Daryl knew her name.

The bell Katie, had above her door rang as she left, and she was on her way, not realizing she dropped something really important.

 

* * *

 

 

Daryl watched Beth leave solemnly. He really wished he had the courage to tell that girl that he like her. That he liked her a lot, and that he wished more than anything to kiss her rosy lips. He could not though. A guy like him would never have a chance with a girl like Beth Greene. That could not be clearer. The simple fact that Beth was studying for a career at the moment, and he was just going to be a mechanic for the rest of his life was proof enough.

Suppressing a sigh Daryl turned from looking at Beth leave to order something from Katie. Today he was thinking of ordering her amazing BLT that had a piece of bacon in every bite, and even though he was no Ron Swanson, he did enjoy bacon.

On his way to the counter, Daryl passed the table Beth had been sitting on, and spotted something from the corner of his eye. On the bench, there sat something that looked like a tiny guitar. Intrigued, Daryl approached the bench and took the object. Upon close inspection Daryl saw that the Guitar was an USB. Beth’s USB. It had to be.

Looking up to see if Beth was still parked outside of the café, Daryl was disappointed to see she was not. Pocketing the USB, Daryl seriously hoped that nothing important was in it.

 

* * *

 

 

Beth wanted to cry. She wanted to vomit. She wanted to do both at the same time.

All her work, all her research was gone.

Trying not to sob, Beth looked in both of her bags for the tenth time, hoping that through her panic she perhaps overlooked her USB. She did not though. She knows she did not. Her USB was gone. All she had was the guitar case she placed the USB in.

Dropping her backpack, Beth then relented to look around her apartment for the USB knowing well that it was not there either. She turned every cushion. She opened every drawer. She searched every trash can, and each time she came short.

Sitting on the ground, after looking under her sofa, Beth lifted her pastel pink t-shirt and cried into it.

She was screwed. She was so screwed. She lost her research paper. It was not even in her laptop either. Glenn told her that she probably lost her work after she haphazardly shut her laptop when she rushed to get Maggie.

A surge of anger rose to her then. Even though Maggie had profusely apologized to her, Beth could not help but blame her sister especially after Maggie had the decency of saying she would not have lost her work if she had remembered to pick her up on her own.

Letting go of her shirt, Beth grabbed a throw pillow she had thrown on the ground during her search, and cried into it. That research paper was twenty percent of her grade. Even though she had a good grade in the class, and even if she passed her finals, her grade would be affected severely because of that paper. And she could not consider rewriting the paper. Where was she going to get ten pages of content in the state she was in.

Conceding to her fate, Beth cried some more into her pillow when someone softly knocked on her door.

Not wanting to see anyone at the moment, but curious about who would visit her when she let everyone she knew of her distress, and how she wanted to be alone, Beth rose from the floor and opened her door, on the other side stood Daryl Dixon, looking shy; really shy.

His hands were buried in his pockets, and could not really hold eye contact with her.

“Daryl,” Beth gasped astonished that Daryl out of all people was at her door.

“Hey,” Daryl stammered. Clearing his throat, and finally holding eye contact with her, Daryl repeated, “Hey, Beth. Uhm, I think I have something that is yours.”

Trying desperately not to say _‘your heart’_ Beth patiently waited for Daryl to continue, completely forgetting her previous dilemma.

 

* * *

 

 

As Daryl stared at her, he desperately wished to erase those tear tracks on her face. Do not get him wrong, she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen even with them, he just did not like the fact that she had been crying. He did not like that at all. He really hoped that he returning her little guitar will cheer her up.

“At Katie’s,” Daryl began to say, as he tried not to get lost on her beautiful blue eyes that were looking expectantly at him. “I think you left this behind,” out of his right pocket he took out her little guitar.

A sharp gasp left Beth then, and next thing he knew her arms were wrapped around his neck, and she was hugging him tightly.

He did not know how to react. He was frozen on the spot with her USB on his hand.

He tried to think back to all the times he had been hugged, but came up short. His mother was probably the only one who had ever really hugged him before she passed. Nevertheless, even if he had received a hundred of hugs before none would compare to the one Beth Greene was giving him at the moment.

Her hair smelled like flowers, and he was trying with all his might to save the smell in his memory. He was trying to save the whole moment in his memory, because Beth’s hug would always stay with him forever of that he was sure of until she kissed him.

Slightly pulling back from him, Beth kissed him bruisingly hard. He did not care at all though, because Beth Greene was kissing him, and he was sure he was not dreaming.

Feeling her pull back a little, Daryl followed her lips, not ready to finish their at all. He had not had a chance to reciprocate after all.  

After a few minutes, however, to their dismay they had to breathe. They stayed in each other’s arms though. Hers around his neck, and his around her waist.

“You found my USB,” Beth then whispered with an amazing smile on her face.

“Yeah,” Daryl replied tightening his arms and pulling her closer to him. “You left it on the bench.”

“I actually dropped it on the bench,” Beth clarified wanting Daryl know the whole situation – wanting Daryl to know everything about everything – and how he just saved her life.

“Oh.”

“Yeah,” Beth nodded her head at him, running her finger through his shaggy brown hair, completely forgetting the fact they were clutching each other in front of her apartment out in the open for her noisy neighbors to see, and tell her momma.

“I was writing an important research paper at Katie’s that is due tomorrow, when Maggie called me to remind me that I had to pick her up from Glenn’s and I was thirty minutes late for that. So I guess I must have dropped it when I was getting my things in my bag to leave.” Beth retold as she continued to run her fingers through his hair and giving him all sorts of feelings.

“I found out I did not have it when I got home and tried to proof read it for the hundredth time.” Beth continued as Daryl intently listened, not bored, or uninterested by her words. In fact he was more than happy to hear her read him a dictionary if she wanted.

“Before I left Katie’s I slammed my laptop shut, so it malfunctioned and erased most of my documents. I was more than ready to give up on life, when you showed up and saved it, my hero,” Beth smiled at him before moving to place a chaste kiss on his willing lips.

“Well,” Daryl said removing his hands from her, and feeling kind of dorky because of what he was about to do, but also not at the same time.

Dropping to one knee, Daryl then lifted in offering the tiny guitar to Beth who was happily giggling at his antics, “I do believe this is yours, Miss.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Too corny, isn’t it? I think it’s too corny, and maybe OOC, but it’s midnight and I don’t wanna rewrite. So hopefully you enjoyed this cheesiness, and have a great day or night. Maybe leave a review? :]


	28. Rough Cut...

As much as the funeral home, they stumbled upon after Beth hurt her ankle, had been a blessing, they left it after their third day there.

It was not much that they wanted to leave, they strangely liked the place, it had been an oasis to them, they made the decision to leave after what happened after her “Oh.”

He had been about to say something. What? He did not know, but he was going to reply to her “Oh.” It was obvious that she figured it out. It was her who changed his mind. She was the one who made him look, plan for the future. Settle.

He was about to say some variety of that when a figure walked by the kitchen’s window, and the dog barked. Beth had been the one to notice. He had heard the dog, and was about to stupidly give the mutt a second chance when Beth grabbed his arm and stopped him from doing so. She whispered to him letting him know about what she saw, and no soon after he was on high alert. He snatched his crossbow, went to the door, and saw, through the window, the herd of walkers on the other side.

There were too many for him to take so he did what anyone would do. He barricaded the door, ran to Beth, and fled down to the basement. He did not like the fact that that was his only resort to escape those monsters, but it _was_ their only resort, and he sure as hell was not going to put Beth in danger and send her outside. His only relief was that walkers could not go down stairs for shit, and even if they did manage to get in, Beth and him placed the embalming tables in front of the stairs, and devised a plan to kill the walkers, and flee in case they did get in.

Thankfully, the walkers did not manage to get in. They stayed in the basement until dawn. He went from the basement to the front door, and saw the walkers were no longer there at least no live ones. They must have gotten bored. He signaled to Beth that everything was clear, and moved to exit the house once she joined him in the front. He exited on guard; his finger ready to shoot any walker that lingered. However, that had not been necessary. Not at all.

A couple of yards from the home he failed to notice in his first check a group of walkers twice dead. There were tied up by the hands by ropes, and goose bumps raised on his skin then, as did for Beth once she realized what she was seeing.

The walkers had been led there. Someone had led the walkers to them. Looking back at the home he figured then that the place was a trap. A trap for what, he did not want to know, but they got their resolve then and there, and silently agreed they had to leave the home even despite the fact they were exhausted after not sleeping at all thanks to the dead.

On their way out they noticed foot tracks that were definitely not walkers, and tire tracks that had not been there before. More reason for them to leave, for him to leave. He remembers, then, him being the one to take Beth’s hand, intertwining their fingers, and squeezing tightly.

That had been five years ago, and as he held his tiny daughter he recalled the day fondly.

In many ways that day, and everything, and their every actions that night had been a blessing. It led them home.

They walked for about a week, and each day their relationship blossomed, and they got closer than ever. Beth  improved immensely in her hunting and tracking, and she would not need him at all like she once joked.

They arrived at Kennesaw, Georgia on a cold day. They had almost no encounter with people or walkers thanks to the cold, but it was still a bitch.

They found a gated community and decided to seek shelter there. The homes were impressive. They were the type of homes a man like him would never have before the end. Beth picked a house to the back of the community. It was two stories, and a nice yellow that reminded him of Beth’s hair. Behind the gate there were woods, and that certainly influenced their decision to stay there. It was always a smart thing to have the woods nearby.

They were planning to stay at the home at least until the cold weather passed, however they rummaged the homes that were relatively untouched and with plenty of supplies, and decided to stay longer. He and Beth assumed that because the community was gated, and the people who lived there were most likely rich, they left many essential things behind because they probably thought that the state of the world would not severely affect them as much. Ignorance was bliss, he supposed.

Honestly, though, they got lucky. Beth found seeds. He found rough cut lumber a mile away from the community. So they planted a garden, and built more walls to keep walkers, and people away. There was no such thing as too much reinforcements.

And as time went on, as the years passed, and as they were no longer fighting to survive, but also live, Beth and him grew closer, and love impassioned them, and now they are here with their little daughter, Abigail Marie Dixon, happier than they could ever imagine being at the end of the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HaHaHa JaJaJa  
> *I’m bilingual so I laugh in both English and Spanish*  
> So fuck the ending of Alone, and fuck Coda. Those events never happened. This is what happened instead, thank you very mucho. Review:]


	29. Inner Workings...

It is a scorching summer day in Georgia. The thermometer her mother keeps in the kitchen says it is ninety-five degrees, but it really feels like it is a hundred and five out there. Beth has been awake for over an hour, has not stepped outside, and her shirt is already stuck to her skin. She sure is ready for the cold shower she is going to try to take, at the end of the day, once she is done with her farm chores.

Her mother hands her a plate of scrambled eggs and sausages, and she almost devours them. Her mother reprimanding her and telling her to eat like a lady though, annoys her more than anything, and makes her eyes stay on her fork so she does not roll them. Shawn is more than allowed to eat like a pig because he is a boy. The double standards are unfair, she thinks. She wonders if her mother has ever been hungry, or if she forgets that she is a growing girl, and food is necessary to grow.

Beth still goes on to devour her food when her daddy enters the kitchen. Her daddy always goes to the feed store every Tuesday morning, and Beth is about to ask him how everything went, after she swallows her orange juice, when she notices her daddy is not alone. Behind her daddy is Daryl Dixon.

She knows him from school. He is known as the school’s bad boy. She heard a rumor once that he ate a live duck, or was that about Patrick Verona from _10 Things I Hate About You_? She does not remember, but still she wonders why her daddy has brought Daryl Dixon home with him.

“Morning,” Hershel greets to his family before going to Annette and giving her a kiss on the cheek. After getting a reply from Beth, Shawn, and her mother, Hershel smiles and turns to Daryl who is still standing under the kitchen’s doorway.

“You can come in, son,” Hershel tells Daryl, sending him a kind smile as he takes a seat on his chair ready to eat breakfast.

Daryl does not move immediately. Beth notices he twitches a little, as if debating if he should come in, before moving slowly into the kitchen, and sweeping his eyes through them all. When his eyes meet hers she suppresses a gasp. His eyes are incredibly blue. They are beautiful.

“Hello, honey,” her mother then says as she stands a couple of feet from Daryl. Extending her hand Annette introduces herself to the boy who she can clearly tell is wearing a guarding mask, that in her opinion no child should wear.

“I’m Annette, Hershel’s wife, and mother to these lunatics,” Annette adds pointing to her nineteen year old son, and her sixteen year old daughter, who tries not to blush. “Are you hungry, sweetie? Would you like some breakfast?”

Taking Annette’s extended hand, Beth notices that Daryl’s lips twitch a little when he hears her mother call them lunatics. That sight almost makes her smile as well.

Daryl then answers her mother very politely, “Uhm, if it’s no inconvenience.”

“Oh no, honey,” Annette says shaking her head, ushering Daryl to Maggie’s seat, placing her hand on his back causing Daryl to flinch, and Annette withdraw her hand quickly. She briefly turns to Hershel then asking him a question with her eyes.

“Here take Maggie’s seat,” Annette says to Daryl, trying to hide her concern as she spots, once Daryl steps in front of her, the blood stains on his shirt. “Maggie is backpacking in Europe so she doesn’t need the seat,” she then informs Daryl to distract herself.

“Thank you,” Daryl responds after Annette serves him a good helping of eggs and sausages. Her mother never does learn to not cook for an army.

Beth takes her eyes from Daryl then. Everyone but her daddy had been staring at him since he arrived, and he probably feels self-conscious. She knows she would if she was in his place, and especially if she was about to start eating. Turning to her food, she continues eating but this time not as frantically, feeling self-conscious now with handsome Daryl Dixon sitting on the other side of the table from her.

“So,” her daddy begins after everyone finishes eating. Speaking in his authoritative tone, that no one dares to defy, her daddy says, “Daryl here is going to stay with us for the summer. I have hired him as a farm hand. The Lord knows we are going to need help with Maggie’s chores, and soon Shawn’s once he leaves for college.”

The whole family nods to that. They do need help with the farm that is for sure, Beth inwardly agrees. She has had to add about five extra chores to her usual ones, and she always ends exhausted at the end of the day. Her daddy hiring Daryl was a great idea. She cannot help to turn to Daryl and smile at him at that. Daryl, however, only has eyes for the table, or her daddy when he speaks. He must not like her. She tries not to be disappointed about that.

“Beth,” her daddy addresses her making her turn from Daryl to him, ready to hear her daddy’s game plan. He usually gives them one each morning when the day does not start like a usual one. “Doddlebug, I would like you to show Daryl the inner workings of the farm today. He’s going to be doing Maggie’s chores but I want him to know how to do all the chores like everyone else.”

“Is that okay with you, Daryl?” Hershel asks the boy who was chewing his thumbnail while Hershel spoke to her. She wonders what that tick was about. Was he nervous about something? Probably his new job and chores.

“Yeah,” Daryl answers her daddy, clearing his throat, and sitting a little straighter on his seat. “That’s fair to me, sir.”

“Call me Hershel, son,” Daryl nods.

“Alright,” Hershel then says rising from his seat, and grabbing his dishes. “Remember to place your dishes on the sink so I can wash them, and go to work, please.”

Doing what Hershel prompted them to do; they place the dishes on the sink for her daddy to wash -since one of his jobs was to clean the kitchen after breakfast since her mother cooked- and then headed on to their chores.

Before joining Daryl, who was outside speaking to Shawn, Beth grabs two water bottles, fills them with ice and water for her and Daryl, knowing they had to have them.

When she exits the kitchen Daryl is waiting for her with is hands in his pockets looking almost shy. Weird for the bad boy of West High, she thinks.

“Here,” Beth smiles at him, handing him his water bottle. “We’re definitely going to need these.”

“Yeah,” Daryl responds with a grunt, taking the bottle from her, but not before slightly grazing her hand and sending an electric tingle through her body. She looks at Daryl and wonders if he felt that too, or if it was just her crazy romantic heart that did. It was probably her crazy romantic heart that felt that.

“So,” Beth begins to say, trying to get back on track, and leading Daryl to the stables for their first chore. “My first chore is to feed, and give water to the horses.”

“Okay,” Daryl says as he follows her, more than ready to learn. He cannot screw this opportunity to be away from his father, and make money. He has to escape so he has to work.

“So everything is relatively easy, it is just a lot of work,” Beth adds as they continue their trek, trying to be teacher Beth, not Beth with a crush Beth.

“You’ll get the hang of it, though,” Beth adds being positive and encouraging. She knows that those are two factors important to motive anyone who is new to something.

“Thanks,” Daryl answers in short again, kind of annoying Beth then. She wished Daryl spoke more. She knew a lot of  people preferred to keep their mouths shut, and maybe Daryl is one of those people, but she also knows he has a lot to say, everyone does.

Observing Daryl then, Beth notices, truly notices, that he is not at all like he is described to be at school. Everyone said he only wears black, and leather, and had a nose ring to match is bad boy persona, but here he is with a white under shirt, under a red flannel that even though did have the sleeves cut off, showcasing his impressive arms, did not fit a bad rebel boy. Maybe those are his summer clothes? Maybe, but also the nose ring was not there, and the fact that he politely answered to her and her parents made her think twice about Daryl Dixon. After all, everyone at school said he always talked back to teachers, and could not utter a sentence that did not have an expletive on it.

Perhaps Daryl Dixon is not what he is painted to be. There is something more to this boy, who as they neared the stable doors hurried his steps to hold the door for her. She smiles at him for that, a smile, though, he does not really catch because he is looking at the ground instead of her. She swears, as Daryl readily waits for her lead to begin their chores, she is going to not just show Daryl the inner working of the farm. She is going to learn all the inner working about him, she is certain it is going to be more than worth it.


	30. Stripped Curtains...

Yeah, when the time came, she is going to have a lot of babies with Daryl Dixon.

Just watching him right now Beth knows –she is a hundred percent certain- that Daryl would be a fantastic father, despite his fears.

They spoke about having children once. Beth recalls, as she takes a sip of her lemonade, telling him that she wants at least two, maximum four children. She told him how she knows at least one of her daughters, if she has a daughter, is going to be named Luna. 

She also recalls how quiet Daryl had been then too, and her heart speeds up a little just like it did then in a feeling she cannot credibly describe. Daryl is an honest man, so he was honest with her and told her that he never wanted children. His childhood had convinced him of that. His father had convinced him of that. 

He told her that he was afraid he someway or somehow would become his father, and abuse his children like his father did to him. A lot of Dixon’s before him had done the same, so he doubted he was any different. 

The fact of the matter is that Daryl is another breed of Dixon. He was from the line of Dixon's that worked their asses off to establish a level of conformity for future Dixon's, like Daryl’s dad, to exploit, then lose, and tarnish the Dixon name.

Beth knows this for sure, because before, in the early years of the twenty century, the Dixon name had not been scum. The name had actually even been respected. Her ninety year old uncle Charlie told her that once she told him who her boyfriend –and now fiance- of four years is.

She remembers that time fondly. Her wise uncle was great. He really did lift up her spirits. He did not judge her relationship with Daryl like some of her shrew aunts had. Instead her uncle simply stated that he was happy for her, and she knew he meant it. 

Her uncle knows of the Dixon fame, the bad one, but he still did not reprimand her at all. When she asked him why, curiosity getting the better of her, after everyone else told her to runaway fast, her uncle softly told her that no all Dixon's were bad. The ones born a couple of years after him were the ones that ruined it all, he informed her.

He also said, “Just because a person comes from a certain family it does not mean they are good or bad. Everyone is their own person.” 

And Daryl, he is definitely his own person. He is not a scoundrel, or a drunk, or a man who would violently place a hand on anyone. He is a man who would play hide and seek, or any game that a kid wants, just as he is playing right now. 

They are at the Grimes, having a barbecue. They are celebrating Rick’s birthday, and Daryl is playing hide and seek with Judith Grimes.  
Beth smiles at Daryl when he meets her eyes and smiles at her as he loudly counts to thirty. Judith is screaming, and running everywhere looking for a hiding place. Judith, who she babysat when she was born, and was the one who brought Daryl and her together, is just a toddler and having more fun listening to Daryl count. 

Daryl loudly reaches the number fifteen when Beth decides to help. Lori has hanging over the double doors that lead to the backyard, some stripped curtains, and Beth leads Judith to hide behind them despite the fact that their feet are in full display.

They silently giggle as Daryl finishes counting, and searches for them. He knows where they are. Beth knows he knows, but Daryl still makes a show for his Lil Asskicker, and as Beth sees Daryl walk right by them for the fifth time, all she can think of is them playing like this with their children, because she is going to have a lot of babies with Daryl Dixon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter to go!


	31. Heavy

_How can a box full of bed sheets be so heavy?_

Beth wonders as she carriers the box holding her full size sheets to her apartment. Scratch that her new apartment. The one she never knew she would have to get because she already had the perfect home. The home of her dreams. Dreams that she knows now to be bullshit, because she never dreamed of dating a cheater.

Scoffing, since she feels more pure anger than sadness or pity for herself, Beth continues to move her belongings to her new home.

She does not want to think about him. She has moved on. She has let go. She is not going to dwell in the past and let it, let him, tamper with her future. A future that she is considering living without males in her life, because they cheat, and lie, and only care about themselves and not the years of devotion she has put in their “love.”

Her new apartment is nice. Not like her previous home that had high ceilings and plenty of space for everything and anything. The apartment is cozy. It is small, but it has a built in bookcase that sold the place to her immediately. She is already imaging all the things she wants to decorate that bookcase with apart from books of course.

Walking up the steps to the her new building, whose exterior is not as manicured, or pleasing to her eye as the one from her last home, Beth wonders when she got so weak. A suitcase with wheels, and some stairs should not be winning this battle against her. Oh but they are. The suitcase is too heavy too, and the stairs are no help.

Grunting, and pulling Beth misses the fact that the door to her building has opened. 

A man, that looks to be in his middle thirties steps out and tries to hide his smile as he watches Beth wrestle a suitcase.

He knows he should help. He would help if it was not more entertaining watching Beth Greene struggling with a bag that obviously is heavier than her.

_The girl has always been stubborn, though._

Daryl says to himself before moving from the door way and clearing his throat loud enough for Beth to hear.

“Need some help?” Daryl motions to the suitcase as Beth finally looks up and realizes that Daryl Dixon, her Daryl Dixon is before her, offering her his help.

“Daryl!” Beth gasps in surprise, losing her grip of the suitcase and almost falling on her butt.

“Beth,” Daryl replies with a grin and a hand on her forearm to steady her.

“What are you doing here, Daryl?” Beth asks as she wills herself not to blush. Not in front of him. Never in front of him.

“I live here,” Looking back to where Daryl is pointing which is in fact the same building she is moving to, Beth tries to think of something to say but nothing comes to mind.

She _would_ move to the same apartment building as Daryl Dixon, she _would_. Fate is a bitch.

“Are you going to live here now too?” Daryl then asks as he reaches for her suitcase and with an easy pull does what she could not.

“Uhm yeah, and thanks,” Beth replies taking her suitcase and heading for the door, not getting far though because the suitcase is heavy, remember.

“What apartment?” Daryl asks as he takes the suitcase from her and motions for her to take the lead.

“1B,” Beth replies as she dries her sweaty hands, which are obviously sweaty because of her exertion and not because of Daryl Dixon’s presence, on her denim jeans.

“2B,” Daryl says heading to her apartment with familiarity.

“What?”

“2B,” Daryl repeats as he reaches her apartment and points to the door next to hers. “I live in 2B.”

“Oh,”

“Yeah,” Daryl replies as he places her suitcase in her front hallway, and heads for the door. “Looks like we are neighbors.”

“Yeah,” Beth answers as she thanks fate and curses her at the same time. “That’s what it looks like.”

Blessing her with a rare smile Daryl then replies as he moves his head towards hers and places his lips so close to hers that she shivers. “This is going to be fun.”

And oh it is so going to be fun, because as Aiden cheated on her, she was falling in love with Daryl Dixon, her coworker. The one that made her go to work with more enthusiasm that she did before he was hired. The one who actually had her take time to put makeup on for. The stoic and muscular security guard that made her actually want her boss tell her to stay a few more hours at work so she could stare at and work close and personal with. And her new boyfriend, who as soon heard about Aiden’s sins moved swiftly to kick his ass, and sweep her off her feet and offer her his home where they were free to do all the roleplaying they discovered they loved to do.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading and please drop me a review I would greatly appreciate it:)


End file.
